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An active figure leaped down from the shelf and 
ran to the water’s edge, and as he turned toward 
the shelf again Betty gave a start. 

(Page 119 ) The Girls of Greycliff. 











THE GIRLS 
OF GREYCLIFF 


By HARRIET PYNE GROVE 


Author of 

“Cathalina at Greycliff“The Grey cliff Girls in Campy 
“Greycliff Heroines’’ “Greycliff Wings.” 



A. L. BURT COMPANY 
Publishers New York 
































1>Z7 

* Qi ^ 
Ql 


THE 

GREYCLIFF GIRLS SERIES 

A Series of Stories for Girls 

By HARRIET PYNE GROVE 

CATHALINA AT GREYCLIFF 
THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 
THE GREYCLIFF GIRLS IN CAMP 
GREYCLIFF HEROINES 
GREYCLIFF WINGS 

Copyright, 1923 

By A. L. BURT COMPANY 
THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


Made in “U. S. A.” 


Jill "9 ’23 


Cl A711123 












THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


CHAPTER I. 

GREYCLIFF GIRLS. 

Again the big halls at Greycliff were full of laugh¬ 
ter and chatterings. Bright faces peeped from 
doors, light forms whisked hither and yon, doors 
banged, trunks bumped or traveled along up the 
inclines which had been fixed for them at the stair¬ 
ways, where short flights had no elevator accom¬ 
modations. One of the smaller girls sat on a news¬ 
paper to save her dress and slid down one such 
incline; but concluding that she preferred bannisters, 
she tried one which curved invitingly down from 
the second floor, and slid off directly in front of the 
astonished dean who was starting upstairs with a 
dignified parent. 

Thus is answered the question,—Did the Grey- 
cliff Girls come back? Indeed they did. And one 
of the very prettiest was flying down the wide steps 

3 



4 THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 

of the entrance to Greycliff Hall. A happy-faced, 
quietly dressed young girl was just paying the taxi 
driver and turned in time to embrace at once this 
eager Greycliffer who threw her arms around her. 
“Lil!” 

“Hil!” 

“How long since you came in?” 

“About twenty minutes.” 

“No time lost, then;—O, isn’t it great? I never 
saw anything nicer than even those Greycliff flats 
we passed, because I knew every minute that we 
were coming nearer and nearer this wonderful old 
Greycliff! And who’s back? The girls come yet?” 

“Well, some would call them girls,” said Lilian, 
waving her hand at the groups about the campus and 
on the steps and on the wide veranda. 

“You scamp!” exclaimed Hilary. “Same old 
Lilian! You know very well what girls I mean.” 

“Yes, I do, of course. But I was just going 
to ask you if Cathalina was really coming back, 
and when Betty plans to get here.” 

The girls by this time had reached the entrance 
hall, where they stopped to embrace again. 

“Aren’t we crazy?” Hilary looked around, though 
not in embarrassment. “Nobody here I know.” 

“Everybody’s crazy. Come on up. Do you know 
where we’re going to be this year?—Capital B, E, 
BE!” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 5 

“In Greycliff Hall.” Hilary pretended to be 
very solemn. 

“Naturally. But don’t you know, really?” 

“No, I guess I missed some of you girls’ letters 
by not going home again before coming to school, 
so all I know is that Cathalina is coming and that 
we are all to be together in a suite. She wrote that 
early in the summer and said that Miss Randolph 
was going to arrange it. So I haven’t worried a bit, 
and, honestly, I’ve been too busy to write letters.”’ 

“So have I. I was just going to apologize for 
not writing oftener, but if you are as bad as I am. 
I’ll not need to.” 

“I guess this was a full summer for both of us. 
I love you just the same as ever, though. Did you 
get my cards from Boston?” 

“Yes; did you get mine from Denver? O, now 
you must shut your eyes and I’ll lead you into our 
elegant retreat where we shall “woo the Muses”, as 
Father says. Put down your bag; you can get it in 
a minute, it isn’t far.” 

With red hands over her eyes, Hilary Lancaster, 
laughing and dancing along by Lilian, was lead to 
a door which was thrown open dramatically before 
her. 

“Lilian North! Our old room improved! Me 
thought my feet tread upon accustomed ground!” 

“Boards, you mean. How touching.” The two 


6 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


excited and happy girls started a “Gym” dance, 
Hilary counting as they took so many steps to the 
right, so many to the left, with bows and curtseys, 
till Hilary suddenly ran over to the window. 

“There it is, the same lovely bit of the lake and 
the lacing trees. O, I can scarcely wait to see the 
launch and the boats again, and even our nice kind 
old Mickey. Where's my bag?—O, yes!” and Hil¬ 
ary went racing down the hall for her traveling 
bag. 

The suite over which these two girls were having 
such raptures was nothing remarkable, but was the 
one which Hilary Lancaster and Cathalina Van 
Buskirk had occupied the year before, their first 
happy year at this girls’ school. By taking down a 
partition or two, three large rooms had been made, 
one sitting room or study in the middle, a good- 
sized bedrooom, with its two comfortable cots, on 
each side of the sitting room. 

“Won’t Cathalina be surprised?” 

Hardly had Lilian finished her sentence when a 
light little rap sounded at the door, which opened 
to reveal Miss Cathalina Van Buskirk of New York. 
Dainty and lovely as ever, her expressive face glow¬ 
ing with delight at surprising her friends, she stood 
a moment while two pairs of arms opened to greet 
her. 


“Cathalina!” 


7 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 

“And Betty is downstairs in Miss Randolph’s 
room with her mother. It was mean of me to come 
on up, but I couldn’t wait,—Alma told me that she 
saw you girls come upstairs, and that by the way 
you were carrying on she thought you were glad to 
get back!” 

“Is Alma still Miss Randolph's helper?” asked 
Hilary. 

“Yes,” replied Lilian, “she was the one who 
brought me up here when I came. I couldn’t find 
Miss Randolph and nobody but you, Cathalina, 
knew where we were to be. What do you think 
of it?” 

Cathalina, whose home boasted every luxury, 
looked around at the room (which was bare of every 
adornment), glanced into the bedrooms (where 
dressers needed dusting and a linen cover of some 
sort), and with an expression of perfect and unas¬ 
sumed bliss, sank into a chair saying, “This seems 
just like heaven. Do you remember, Lilian, when 
you came over in the pink kimono last year and 
invited Hilary and me into your suite to eat fudge 
and peanuts? I had just gotten over a terrible fit 
of homesickness and we were in the midst of getting 
settled. Well, that was the beginning of my ab¬ 
solute a—adoration of this school! But come on,— 
we mustn’t forget our Betty, and her mother is a 
dear. You will all like her. Betty is her “living 


8 * THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 

image”. We were motoring, and Phil took me to 
Betty’s,—so we all came here together, I mean 
Betty and her mother and I, on the train. My trunk 
and things were to come by express from home. I 
must see about them, too.’' 

In a moment the room was empty again, except 
for several traveling bags, hats, and a few other 
articles scattered about. Hilary’s treasured one 
and only silk umbrella had fallen unheeded behind 
the steam pipes. 

But Betty Barnes met the other girls on the stairs 
and was duly embraced and admired in an especially 
becoming new suit. “That is a duck of a hat, Betty, 
and aren’t we glad to see you, though!” Thus spoke 
Lilian. 

“Cathalina could not wait for me, and I just 
have to see the room/’ 

“It was bad of me, and I’ll take you back,” offered 
Cathalina. 

“I left Mother on the porch,” said Betty, “and 
there was a taxi full of girls just coming around the 
drive.” 

“All right, we’ll be there, and if we see a sweet 
lady that looks just like you, we’ll introduce our¬ 
selves,—shall we?” 

“Nothing would please Mother better.” 

Lilian and Hilary went on down the stairs and 
out upon the broad porch with its columns, flowers. 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


9 


and vines. Stopping several times to greet acquaint¬ 
ances, they made their way as soon as possible to a 
stone bench at one end where they seemed to recog¬ 
nize a familiar figure. 

“That is Eloise Winthrop!” exclaimed Hilary. 

“And wouldn't you take her for Betty ?” Lilian 
was looking at Betty's mother, to whom Eloise was 
talking. 

“Yes, or her twin sister.” 

As the girls reached the little group at the end 
of the porch, Eloise turned and prettily introduced 
them to Betty’s mother. “I am just apologizing,” 
continued Eloise, “for I thought that she was Betty 
and rushed madly up and threw my arms around her. 
You can imagine how I felt and how surprised the 
lady was!” 

“I haven’t had so fine a compliment for years,” 
smiled Betty's mother, slipping an arm around 
Eloise, “and one whose sincerity I can not doubt. 
But I don’t know what Betty will think.” 

“I rather suspect that Betty knows how huh 
mothuh looks,” drawled Helen Paget, who was 
with Eloise. “I came up just in time to see the 
effect of mistaken identity and to avoid making the 
same mistake. I see that I shall have to watch my 
roommate closely this year if this is her impulsive 
nature!” 


10 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


By this time Betty and Cathalina, with Pauline 
Tracy had appeared, and were listening with 
amusement to Helen’s lofty comments. 

“This is Pauline, Mamma, dear old Polly, you 
know, and I’ve just heard the wonderful news that 
Eloise and Helen, with Pauline and Juliet Howe, 
are going to be together, in the next suite to ours.” 

“Shall we ever get any studying done?” whispered 
Lilian aside to Hilary. Hilary gave her only a 
bright glance in reply, and nodded an affirmative. 

“Now let me get all the names straight, Betty,” 
said her mother. “This dear child who took me for 
you is Eloise Winthrop, and Helen is the one you 
wrote me about,—is from the South.” Betty and 
Helen both nodded. 

“And I’m Pauline, from the big ranch,” assisted 
Pauline, as Betty’s mother hesitated, looking at her. 

“O, yes, and Juliet Howe is your ‘Shadow’!” 

“She has not come yet, but I’m looking for her 
any minute. O, the fun we are going to have!” 

“But I thought Helen had a different roommate.” 

“She did, Diane Percy,—they were the ‘Imps’. 
But Diane can not come, at least this first semester. 
And Eloise’s roommate is not coming back. Hence, 
therefore, consequently, Mamma, old Helen and old 
Eloise are going to try to get along together if they 
can. They are feeling badly about it, but are try¬ 
ing not to show it before company.” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


11 


At this, Eloise took out her handkerchief, and 
turned her face aside a little as if to wipe away an 
imaginary tear. Helen thrust her hands into her 
jacket pocket and assumed an expression of stony 
woe. 

“You mischievous girls!” exclaimed Betty’s 
mother. “I hope that you will have a good time, 
but don’t forget what you are here for.” 

'Nobody of this happy company noticed a sober lit¬ 
tle face and lonely little figure at the far end of the 
long stone bench with its quaint carvings. “My, what 
a pretty mother,” she was thinking. I did not know 
mothers were like that. My mother had a sweet 
face, though,” and she opened the small bag which 
she was carrying and drew out a picture. “Where 
am I, anyhow? I guess I might as well go back. 
That plump, homey looking girl is from a ranch, 
though; I guess it’s a nice one, not like ours. I sup¬ 
pose it can’t be worse here than at home. I’d like 
to stick it out, but I don’t suppose the girls will 
have anything to do with me. Look at my clothes!— 
beside of theirs! I knew my skirt was being made 
all crooked, and this hideous waist,—I wish I never 
had anything to say about my clothes. Ugly old 
heavy shoes to match the rest. But then dear old 
father did not know that they were awful.” The 
little girl sat thoughtfully a little longer, then slipped 
into the building and to her room. First she tipped 


12 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


the mirror in order to get a full length view of her¬ 
self. “Yes, I said I wouldn’t care for anything 
if I could only get away. But look at me! Freckles, 
sandy pig-tails, turn-up nose, collar bones stick¬ 
ing out and red hands. You’re just about the limit, 
you are,” said she to her image in the glass. “Well, 
I’m not going to cry about it, not now, anyhow. 
It’s too near meal time. I’m glad I haven’t any 
roommate yet. I guess Miss Randolph would hate 
to put any girl like those girls in with me.” 

Sturdy little soul that she was, this thought was 
too much. Possibly no more unhappy child had 
come to Greycliff this year. Dropping into a chair 
she sobbed aloud, not knowing that her door had 
come unlatched and stoor ajar. Hilary and Lilian, 
passing, heard her and stopped short. 

“Somebody’s homesick,” said Hilary. 

“Shall we go in?” asked Lilian. 

“Maybe she wouldn’t want us to, but it’s heathen¬ 
ish not to pay any attention. You try it all alone, Lil.” 

“All right.” Lilian pushed the door open a little 
wider and rattled the knob as she did so. “Would 
you hate to have me come in a minute? I’m awfully 
sorry for whatever is the matter. We all have our 
turn at being homesick, though, so I thought I’d 
see if I couldn’t cheer you up. Could I ? I’m Lilian 
North and an “old girl”, you know, so I’m not 
homesick this year.” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


13 


By this time the weeping one had wiped her eyes, 
taken several long breaths and was able to answer. 
“Come right in . . . I’m . . . M—Margaret 
Hope, and just came today.” Lilian’s suggestion 
about the common malady of homesickness was 
fortunate. And what was Margaret’s surprise to 
see one of the admired girls whom she had first 
seen so short a time ago on the porch. 

Meanwhile Hilary had waited a few moments, 
observed the cessation of sobs, heard conversation 
begin, and with a smile had withdrawn, going to 
see about baggage and several other matters and 
finally joining the other girls. 

Where a grassy terrace with irregular stone steps 
helped the ascent to a grove at the side and rear 
of Greycliff Hall, there was a secluded nook formed 
by clumps of tall bushes and a group of big-limbed, 
gnarled trees. Sprawling roots invited to more or 
less comfortable repose. Two or three rustic seats 
stood about the path, which was an artistic, winding 
way of flat stones set in the grass. Here a merry 
party of girls had been gradually gathering; the seats 
were moved closer together, and a steamer rug 
and some cushions were in evidence. 

“I fished a cushion or two out of my box,” said 
Cathalina Van Buskirk, neatly aiming one at Hil¬ 
ary, who was sitting on the grass. Hilary caught 
it, gave it a pat and settled down upon it, her hands 


14 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


clasped over her knees. Evelyn Calvert caught an¬ 
other one. Betty was already curled upon the rug 
and there Cathalina also sat down. Juliet Howe 
had recently arrived and was exchanging the sum¬ 
mer’s experiences with Pauline Tracy, her nearest 
chum. Isabel Hunt’s soft curls were no less curly 
than they had been, her cheeks no less rosy. If she 
and Avalon Moore were somewhat younger than 
the other girls of this group, they were no less at 
home. 

“I’d like to take a snap-shot of you girls,—all 
talking at once,” remarked Isabel, raising her voice 
that it might be heard above the chatter. “Did you 
ever see that picture Hilary took last year of Ava¬ 
lon and me? We didn’t know she was ready and 
were arguing about something. There we are in 
the picture, Avalon looking at me, and I at Avalon, 
for all the world like the elocution class, or Lilian 
making ‘tones,’ jaws dropped and mouths opened. 
If you want to see it, look at Hilary’s album. We 
couldn’t persuade her not to put it in. She has us 
along with the other specimens, the janitor’s lame 
duck and Micky’s parrot.” 

“Where’s Lilian, Hilary?” inquired Betty. 

“There she comes,” replied Hilary, waving a 
languid hand, “leading a forlorn hope.” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


15 


The girls watched Lilian, who was approaching, 
arm in arm, with a “new girl”, a plainly dressed one, 
apparently younger than Lilian. 

“She was crying in her room when Lilian heard 
her and went to the rescue,” Hilary explained in a 
lower tone to the girls near her. “You know 
Lilian.” 

“Yes, and if it hadn’t been Lilian, it would have 
been Hilary,” added Isabel. 

By this time Lilian had arrived and found a va¬ 
cant place on the steamer rug, drawing her compan¬ 
ion down with her. 

“This is Margaret Hope, girls, from—North Da¬ 
kota, isn’t it, Margaret? Now you girls can go on 
talking if you want to, while I tell her all about you 
and who you are.” 

“I like that, Margaret,” said Isabel pleasantly. 
“No telling how she will describe us, under cover of 
the conversation.” 

“I don’t believe you need worry,” replied Mar¬ 
garet, feeling very shy and awkward in their midst. 

“She has recognized your optimism already 
Lilian,” said Helen, while Margaret thought, “What 
big words that Southern girl uses.” She had heard 
the conversation which took place earlier, and recog¬ 
nized Helen. Lilian went on chatting to her for 
a little while, telling her about Hilary Lancaster, who 
was the daughter of a minister and her closest 


16 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


friend; of Evelyn, who was Southern, too, and won¬ 
derful in dialect stories; of several of the other girls, 
till Isabel took a hand in entertaining, and drew 
her into conversation with Avalon. That these girls 
should take pains to keep her from being unhappy 
had a great effect upon the girl from the far West, 
who had at first felt that companionship with these 
fortunate girls would be an impossibility. Had she 
only known that intimacy with this charming circle 
of girls depended entirely upon herself, she might 
have been discouraged. But in spite of her unpre¬ 
possessing appearance now, Margaret had resources 
within, which school was to develop. 

What a reunion was there after dinner ag^in, 
when in groups large or small the girls wandered 
about the grounds or took a turn down at the 
beach. Betty’s heart had a wrench when the taxi 
took away her mother, but it helped much to have a 
jolly circle of girls with ever so much news to ex¬ 
change, or plans to make for the new year at school. 
Rules were “off”, or at least not “on”, except to 
require safe bounds after dark. It was moonlight 
and starlight, clear, bright and warm, yet with that 
cool lake breeze lifting the stray locks about girlish 
heads. Pretty, light summer dresses moved about 
on the lawn in front of Greycliff Hall. The spray 
from the fountain blew in the faces of those who 
wandered too near. Within the building, the piano 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


17 


of the reception halls or parlors furnished gay music, 
and the colors of the rainbow showed in the pendants 
of the old glass chandeliers. 

“Just think/’ said Lilian to the girls as they 
gathered in their half straightened suite, “another 
year, and we are senior academy girls now! We 
must make all sorts of plans tomorrow for our 
work and the societies and everything.”' 


18 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


} 


CHAPTER II. 

BEGINNINGS. 

The next day was full of all sorts of things. With 
the same general program, it is astonishing how 
different the school years are. There are new 
teachers, a new angle from which everything is 
viewed. There is a new course to be adjusted and 
there are the new books with their fresh covers 
and crisp pages of knowledge not yet understood. 
Lilian was stacking hers on a corner of the table. 
She was still full of that tensity and suppressed 
excitement which the busy day and many interests, 
with the companionship of other girls, had giver her. 

“All that and more inside my brain this year, 
girls. And, O, my violin teacher is so funny. He 
looks as if he were just caught. He is imported, I 
guess.” 

“Why, Lilian, this from you?” said Hilary. 

“Never mind, he thinks I’m just as funny. He 
has a real mop of black hair, and closes his eyes and 
sways when he plays himself,—and glares fiercely 
when your bow scrapes or you get ever so little off 




THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 19 

the tone. He tried me out this morning. I played 
scales for him. I know how to torture him if he gets 
too cross,—just miss getting it right. Really, 
though, I’m just dying to go in for nothing but 
music, but Father won’t hear to it. I want voice 
and piano, violin, harmony, counterpoint, every¬ 
thing. They are going to let me take one stingy 
little lesson a week in voice and one in violin.” 

“Mercy, child, how could you do more with your 
other work?” 

“I suppose it is a sensible thing, but you know I’m 
a little ahead on the regular course, and wouldn’t 
have the full number of hours.” 

“Where do you practice your violin?” asked Helen 
soberly, but as Lilian flashed her an understanding 
smile she laughed, and the other girls leaned for¬ 
ward in pretended anxiety. 

“Over in the 'annex/ Dixie; don’t worry, no 
squeaks and squawks around here.” 

“Have you seen Dr. Norris?” asked Cathalina. 

“Who is he ?” asked Lilian and Betty together. 

“He is Patty’s lover! But keep it a dead secret* 
I don’t believe the faculty knows it. Perhaps they 
wouldn’t have let him come.” 

“Maybe they do know it. How did you find 
it out?” 

“By looking at them.” 

“Everybody else will know it that way, then/* 


20 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“No, I don’t mean that they acted like lovers, but 
I could see that they are well acquainted, and I 
remember several things that happened last year. 
Don’t you remember, Betty, that time when we were 
with her and she had a letter ‘from a dear friend’, 
she said, and was blushing over it? And she spoke 
of a ‘Mr. Norris’ who was in school with her and 
was getting his doctor’s degree. Then I’m sure that 
it was this man’s face in the photograph that she 
Rad out on her bureau and wouldn’t tell when we 
teased her to tell. I wondered why his face seemed 
so familiar, and then it came to me that it was the 
man of the photograph. He looks older, though. 
Probably that was the picture he gave her when they 
were in college.” 

“She wears a ring this fall, did you notice it?” 
asked Betty. 

“Yes; I noticed it at dinner last night. It sparkled 
very prettily and I thought that Patty was a little— 
well—conscious that she had it on. Several of the 
girls called each other’s attention to it, I saw. But 
isuppose we say nothing about it.” 

“Patty will manage it. I suppose he has to get 
money enough to get married on. Do they pay good 
salaries here?” 

“I don’t know, Helen,” answered Hilary, “but 
he has to get experience somewhere first.” 

“He’ll get it here, all right,” said Juliet. 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 21 

“Why, Juliet, this is a fine school!” exclaimed 
Cathalina. 

“Nobody knows that better than I, but I wouldn't 
teach anybody chemistry, physics and the things he 
has, let alone a lot of girls in a girls' school. Won’t 
it be a disappointment to the collegiates when they 
find that he is ‘taken’ ?” 

“I hadn’t thought of that,” said Cathalina. “Do 
you suppose any of them will fall in love with him?” 

“Don’t worry, Cathalina. It won’t be our fault 
if they do. It’s up to Patty to look out for that.” 

“I suppose you are all happy to find that Dr. Car¬ 
ver’s back,” and Betty executed a little toe dance in 
celebration. 

“Yes we are— not!” declared Isabel, who had 
been sitting on the couch in unusual silence. “Patty 
is to have the beginning Latin classes, but of course* 
I’m all through with that!” 

“Won’t Patty have any other Latin?” 

“One Caesar section, but I could not get into that.** 

“I am lucky, Isabel, but I’m sorry you did not 
get into it too. However, I’m doubling on my Latin 
to catch up, and have the dear Doctor, too, in 
Cicero. It will be a fight. She will try to catch 
me up, and I shall try not to be caught. I expect 
to spend most of my time, girls, with the old Ro¬ 
mans. But I will have to acknowledge that when 
she talks she can make it interesting.” 


22 THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 

“Two classes to Dr. Carver! I pity you, Catha- 
lina, from the bottom of my heart.” 

“No, Isabel, only one to her, the other to Patty. 
I read ahead with Phil or Father this summer, and 
studied vocabulary, too. If I get beyond my depth 
I’ll come to some of you girls that have the senior 
Latin.” 

“I could not read a line of Cicero now,” declared 
Helen. “I had hopes that Miss Randolph wouldn’t 
keep her when she saw how the girls disliked her.” J 

“She knows that Dr. Carver isn’t popular,” said 
Cathalina, “but I don’t believe that anybody ever 
complained to Miss Randolph. I certainly would hate 
to do it and make a teacher lose a position. And 
then, anyway, I’m not so sure that Miss Randolph 
cares about a teacher’s being popular.” 

“But if Patty had it, wouldn’t we all love Latin?” 

“I like it in spite of Dr. Carver,” said Cathalina, 
“and it helps me with all the other things.” 

“I’ll get you to write an article on the ‘classics’ 
for our next contribution to the Grey cl iff Star. 
Did you know, girls, of my late honor?” 

“I am to represent the senior academy on the staff 
of the world’s greatest newspaper, the Star. Please 
all of you help me. We can’t have much space, 
but want it filled with the most wonderful produc¬ 
tions that a senior academy class ever offered!” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


o-> 

“‘Ah!’ quoth the correspondent!” said Isabel 
through her teeth. 

“Where are you going, Helen?” asked Betty, as 
Helen left the row of girls on the couch and started 
toward the door. 

“I must get back to the suite. I’ve so much to do. 
We are not settled yet.” 

“I should say we aren’t,” was Juliet’s comment, 
as she, too, rose to follow Helen. 

“When can we all have a real meeting together?” 
asked Hilary. “I have several important things to 
talk over with the whole crowd.” 

“So have I,” said Cathalina. 

“We’ll have study hours tonight, and real les¬ 
sons for tomorrow,” reminded Betty. 

“Then the only time will be between dinner and 
study-bell,” said Hilary. “Tell the other girls, 
Helen, please. Where shall we meet?” 

“O, down on the beach. Let’s go around to the 
cliffs.” 

“All right, Betty,” said Helen. “Adieu, ladies, 
for the present.” 

Tap-tap-tap. 

“Come in,” said Lilian, starting to open the door. 
But Alma Huntley had already let herself in. 

“Good to see you all back,” she said hurriedly. 
Alma was always in a hurry, having many hours on 
duty for Miss Randolph, and studies of her own 


24 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


besides. “Miss Randolph would like to see you, 
Cathalina, in her room as soon as possible.” 

“I can go at once.” Cathalina rose. 

“Come along, then,” invited Alma, and the two 
disappeared. Avalon and Isabel departed and soon 
no visitors were left. Hilary, Betty and Lilian flew 
around putting a few last touches on the room and 
tucking away this or that in box or drawer. 

“Haven’t we done well with our unpacking this 
time?” said Lilian. “We’ll not have a thing but 
lessons tonight. Anything else can be left till Satur¬ 
day. Don’t you hope they’ll drive us in to Grey- 
cliff?” 

“Yes,” said Hilary. “I want a can-opener and 
some plates at the ten cent store, and a cup and 
saucer. Mother said I might just as well get the 
dishes here as to bother with packing any. I like 
to have enough at feasts, don’t you?” 

Dressing, writing a letter or two home, and fixing 
schedules of study occupied the rest of the time be¬ 
fore dinner. 

The lake shore at Greycliff was both beautiful and 
interesting. There were the tall, grey stone cliffs 
which had givn the village and the school their name, 
and beneath the cliffs a rocky shore with great 
boulders, around which the waters tossed and 
foamed. Then there was a long, wide stretch of 
sand, under bluffs of a different formation. To 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


25 


bathe and swim, the girls naturally frequented the 
sandy beach and its rolling waves, but the rocks 
made attractive seats, and on top of the “Cliffs” there 
was soil, with trees and bushes. Only a part of 
this belonged to the school. 

The appointed meeting could as well have taken 
place in one of the suites, but none of the girls 
wanted to miss the time, between dinner and the 
evening study bell, which was usually devoted to 
pleasant strolls or outdoor fun of some sort. 

Climbing over the rocks, Cathalina, Hilary, Betty 
and the rest found a suitable place, where a shelf 
jutted out from the cliff side and irregular rocks 
and boulders offered seats. There they settled, ar¬ 
ranging their light dresses like a flock of sea birds 
alighting and preening their plumage. Knowing 
well, however, the strength of the lake winds, they 
had been wise enough to bring their sweaters or 
jackets. 

“Watch the clouds, girls,” said Lilian, “we ought 
not to think of such things as lessons and school with 
all this to look at.” 

“See the colors under that golden angel’s wing 
across the sky!” exclaimed Cathalina, pointing. 
“Father said I could paint this year if I wanted to. 
I wish I could mix colors like those! But come to 
order, ladies,—who shall be chairman? This is a 
real meeting, you know.” 


26 THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 

“I nominate Cathalina Van Buskirk,” said Hilary. 

“I nominate Hilary Lancaster,” said Cathalina. 

“No, I want to talk, Cathalina.” 

“So do I, Hilary!” 

The other girls laughed. “All I hope is—,” said 
Isabel, whose perch upon a round rock was rather 
precarious, “that no one will call for a rising vote!” 

“Eloise! Eloise!” cried Juliet, and the others took 
it up. Hilary put it to vote, and Eloise was unani¬ 
mously elected chairman. 

“What am I chairman of, girls?” asked Eloise. 

“The meeting of the No Name Society, I guess,” 
said Pauline. “Girls, we must have a real society 
and a name!” 

“That is one of the objects of this meeting,” said 
Cathalina. “Madame chairman, may I have the 
floor?” 

“There isn’t any,” inserted Isabel. 

“I am speaking figuratively, Miss Hunt.” 

“O, excuse me.” 

“You may have whatever you want,” generously 
offered the chairman. “I think Isabel’s suggestion 
very good, considering our location. You need not 
rise, ladies and gentlemen. Just raise your hand, 
and voice, if necessary, and I will recognize you. 
Ahem. Ladies and gentlemen, I appreciate the 
honor which is mine. What on earth are you doing, 
Isabel?” For Isabel had jumped down from her 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 27 

lofty seat and was creeping stealthily around a steep 
rock. 

“Looking for the ‘gentlemen’.” 

“There are some people who always take every¬ 
thing literally. Dr. Carver says. Miss Van Buskirk 
has the floor.” 

“Some of you know Miss Randolph sent for me 
today, and I thought that you would like to hear 
about some of the things she said. For one thing, 
I asked her if she had any objection to our having 
a little society and she said no, she wouldn’t unless 
we were planning to have too many 'social affairs’ 
and ‘nonsense’. I told her ‘no more than usual’. 
They do not allow regular secret societies here, she 
said, but there have been lots of girls’ clubs. We 
knew of some last year, you know. She asked me 
if we had any object, and I couldn’t say that we 
had.” 

“That Fudge Club last year was so silly,” said 
Isabel. 

Eloise shook her finger at Isabel: “No interrup¬ 
tions.” 

“It was a letter from Aunt Katherine and some 
private matters that she wanted to see me about, 
but while I knew she was so busy I did get in a 
question or two about this club, and I asked her, 
too, about what Hilary wanted to know,—whether 
a literary society would be a good thing. Hilary 


28 THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 

will tell you about that, but I want to tell you 
one lovely thing that Miss Randolph said about us. 
I can remember her words. She said, ‘Cathalina, 
your little group of friends seems to stand for the 
best that there is in Greycliff, and I hope that you 
all will take hold of things in the academy classes 
this year and use your influence/ ” 

The girls all looked pleased. “Miss Randolph is 
an old peach,” declared Isabel. 

“That is all, Madame Chairman.” 

“Won’t you tell us what your idea of this society 
is?” 

“O, don’t believe I have any more than the rest. 
Only it seems as if we might have a little informal 
club just as well as not, since we are always getting 
together anyway, and whenever there is anything 
important on hand we always call a ‘solemn con¬ 
clave’ anyhow. I think it would be lovely to belong 
to something together and have a pin or a ring and 
a name, and perhaps keep a ‘round robin’ going after 
we are away from dear old Greycliff.” 

“O, yes, let’s!” exclaimed Avalon. Turning to 
Isabel, she added, “Aren’t you glad that they asked 
us to come ? When I first heard them saying some¬ 
thing about it yesterday, I was afraid that the older 
girls wouldn’t let us be in it.” 

“Shall we hear from Hilary now?” asked Eloise. 

“Hear, hear! Hilary!” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


29 


Hilary then began: “I am very much in favor of 
having this little society of ours, for, as Cathalina 
says, you know how ofter there are important things 
to talk over, like our athletics. It is funny how sev¬ 
eral of us have been thinking of it, and yesterday 
when something was said it brought it all about. I 
can not think of a name to suggest, but that can 
come later. Now about the literary society. I 
thought last year that an academy literary society 
would be a good thing and was talking about it in 
our suite. Miss Randolph told Cathalina that no 
effort had ever been made to start one, though one 
to have the collegiate societies include academy girls 
failed. The work in the English classes and in the 
oratory department has been considered enough for 
the poor ‘prep’! Miss Randolph thought that it 
would be an 'excellent movement’ to start an academy 
society and have regular meetings, every week, or 
every two weeks, and if we did start it, we might 
have the south parlor in the old part of Greycliff 
Hall, that ducky little room with two or three good 
pictures and a piano!” 

"If I recall how meetings are conducted,” said 
Eloise, "we are supposed to have motions and then 
discuss them. Somebody make a motion.” 

"I move, Madam Chairman,” said Cathalina, "that 
we form first a society or club with those present for 
charter members.” 


30 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“I second the motion,” said Lilian. 

Eloise put the motion, which was unanimously 
carried. 

“But we won’t have to have formal meeting's, 
will we?” protested Isabel. 

“O, no,” exclaimed several. 

“Only when we want them so,” said Cathalina. 
“But we’d better have a president and secretary, no, 
just treasurer, for our money. Shall we have pins 
or rings or what?” 

“Let’s think it over and wait,” suggested Pauline. 
“Appoint a meeting and we can elect our officers, 
select a name, and see if we want to have an ‘object’ 
and what it shall be, and decide if we want to add 
any other members now.” 

The girls all thought that a sensible suggestion. 

“But I think we’d better go right to work at the 
literary society, don’t you ?” queried Hilary. 

“Yes,” said Isabel with promptness. “If we 
don’t, some other society of the collegiates with 
grab that room.” 

“Not if Miss Randolph has promised it to us,” 
said Cathalina. 

“Why not have a committee appointed now,” 
said Juliet, “to write a little constitution and some 
‘by-laws’? I move that the chairman appoint such 
a committee.” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


31 


This was duly done, Hilary, Helen and Juliet 
consenting to be the committee. 

“One other thing, girls,” said Hilary. “We shall 
have to have a senior academy meeting to organize 
right away. Don’t you think we ought to speak to 
some of the girls about it and have a notice of a 
meeting read in chapel or in the dining-room to¬ 
morrow?” 

“Yes,” answered several. “You write the notice, 
Hilary, or see some of the old officers, and we’ll 
all speak to the other girls,” Eloise suggested. 
“When shall our meeting for the dub and the lit¬ 
erary society take place?” 

“Saturday evening?” 

“That night, the first Saturday, is always sacred 
to the Y. W. C. A. reception.” 

“Friday evening, then. The other societies will be 
starting and we do not have to keep study hours.” 

“All right. I guess a motion is not necessary, is 
it?” said Eloise. 

S/ 

“No, nor a motion to adjourn,” said Isabel. “The 
study bell will do that for us. I wish I’d worn my 
bathing suit. I’d like one little dip.” 

“O, no, Isabel,” said Avalon. “We better start 
up now. My watch says five minutes to the bell.” 

As the girls climbed back and started up the patch 
to the campus Hilary exclaimed, “O, Lilian, one 
thing we didn’t speak of at all.” 


32 


THE GIRLS OP GREYCLIFF 


“What is that?” 

“Whether we ought to organize our literary soci¬ 
ety first or invite in the whole academy and organ¬ 
ize together.” 

“How were the other literary societies formed?” 

“They are exclusive affairs, that is, you have to 
be elected by the members. But I don’t like anything 
that is snobbish or has ‘special privileges’, as Father 
and Mother call it.” 

“I suppose all ought to have a chance at improve¬ 
ment, but would the society be as good, and would 
the girls care for it as much?” 

“There is something in that, too.” 

“What was Miss Randolph’s idea, if she had 
any, Cathalina!” 

Cathalina, who was walking ahead with Betty and 
Eloise, waited. Hilary explained and asked what 
Cathalina thought Miss Randolph would approve. 

“She did not say anything about what sort of a 
society it ought to be, but I just took it for granted 
that it would be like the others, and you know what 
she said about our ‘influence’.” 

“Still,” demurred Hilary, “that doesn’t mean, 
starting a pleasant society and leaving folks out.” 

“Do you think we ought to have everybody in 
the other?” 

“That is different. Not having girls that like to be 
together would spoil the whole idea of our little club.” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 33 

“O, we’d never come to the end of that argu¬ 
ment!” exclaimed Eloise. “I’m for starting a small 
literary society, seeing how it works, taking in a 
number of good students and the stronger girls to 
begin with and adding girls that will work later, 
as seems best. It will start off twice as well with 
somebody like Hilary for president, a good program 
committee and a few meetings to see how we ought 
to do, before we get in so many, or without taking 
in a lot of girls to ball it all up or elect officers from 
some kind that haven’t brains.” 

“Sensible girl!” quoth Cathalina. “Elo’ always 
goes to the point.” 

“You girls will all have to help us get up the con¬ 
stitution. I don’t know what a constitution is like,” 
said Hilary. 

“Borrow one from one of the societies, or ask 
Patty. She’ll know.” 

From all quarters of the campus the girls of 
Greycliff were moving toward the entrances of 
Greycliff Hall. Some were hurrying, but most of 
them moved with lingering steps, last bits of con¬ 
versation and laughter. They were both to leave 
the delightful September outdoors. 

“How I hate to get at it!” groaned Isabel. “With 
all these beauties of nature,” she added, in her most 
oratorical style, with exaggerated gesture. 


34 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“Are you going to take ‘expression’ again this 
year, Izzy?” asked Avalon of her roommate. 

“O, yes, and I’m going to be in the debate club 
and the dramatic club.” 

“You’ll be ‘clubbed’ to death, with our two new 
clubs, too.” 

“They’ll overlap. What I do in oratory and 
debate will come in for the literary society. If the 
program committee gives me other things, I can’t 
do ’em, that’s all.” 

“It won’t do to be too independent, Izzy.” 

“No, but don’t you think that debates would be 
good practice? The other club doesn’t count, for 
we always get together when we have a chance 
anyway.” 

They had reached their room, and saw Hilary 
and Lilian just closing the door into their suite. 

“I’m glad we’re not far from the girls. Wait till 
I see if Margaret is all right.” Kindly Isabel rapped 
on the door next to theirs and was greeted by a 
bright face as Margaret Hope threw it open. At 
different times through the day Isabel had helped 
Margaret with her schedule of work and shown her 
to the class rooms. 

“Thank you, Isabel, I’m just starting in on les¬ 
sons, and was reading over this letter from Father. 
I think I’ll have to tell you,—he had good luck in 
selling some stock and sent me a nice big check to 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 35 

buy some clothes. I guess he saw that my things 
were not right. O, Isabel, will you help me buy 
some? I hate to look so different.” 

“Of course I will, though my taste is not like 
Cathalina’s or Lilian’s or some of the rest. Maybe 
you’d beter ask Lilian. You know her best, don’t 
you ?” 

“Yes, but I’m afraid to.” 

“Afraid of Lilian?” 

“Why yes; she’s a regular angel, and I’d hate 
to have her feel like laughing at me.” 

“Angels don’t laugh at folks, and neither would 
Lilian. You needn’t be afraid to ask her about 
anything, and she won’t talk about it, either, if you 
don’t want her to. Say, Margaret, if you’d let your 
hair down, or let it be a little looser in front it would 
be more becoming. We’ll talk clothes and things 
Saturday, and maybe go to town. So long, I’ve got 
to write a letter to Dad and the boys tonight. They 
brought me up, you know. I haven’t any mother.” 

“Neither have I, Isabel.” The two girls gave 
each other an understanding look, but Isabel hurried 
off before any feeling should be displayed. Isabel 
always declared that she “hated waterworks”. But 
she had no sooner closed the door than she opened 
it again. 

“I thought I’d tell you, Margaret, that whether 
the girls like you or not doesn’t depend on your 


36 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


clothes at Greycliff. It’s what you are. Of course 
we all like pretty clothes, and there is one silly set 
here that doesn’t think of much else. You can tell 
’em by their grades. And you wouldn’t want to 
belong to that crowd, would you ?” 

“No, indeed.” 

Cathalina was deftly fashioning a placard as Hil¬ 
ary and Lilian entered, and Betty was sitting in a 
rocking chair by the table, a green shade over her 
eyes, her elbows on her knees, fists on both sides of 
her head, and a text book on her lap. 

“We stopped a minute to talk to the ‘Y’ president 
about Saturday night,” said Lilian. “Look at 
Betty! She has already begun her year’s labors.” 

“It’s time,” said Betty without looking up. 

“How does this look?” inquired Cathalina, hold¬ 
ing up the completed placard. 

“Fine,” replied Hilary, reading it aloud. “ ‘Lake- 
view. Busy.’ Don’t waste a moment, Cathie, but 
get it up. Where’s my good old kimono, friend of 
study hours? Can we keep from talking?” 

“Got to,” Betty offered. 

“Driving it in with your fists, Betty?” Lilian 
brazenly looked over Betty’s shoulders, discovered 
that Betty was studying history, and tiptoed away 
with pretense of great effort to tread lightly. 

Betty, looking out of the corner of her eyes, saw 
Lilian’s painful limp and giggled. 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


37 


Cathalina came in from putting up the placard. 
‘‘I have a suggestion. We’ll all pitch in with all 
our might till the bell, and then gabble as fast as 
possible till lights out.” 

“Remarkable thought/’ said Hilary. “Cathalina 
proposes that we really study during study hours. 
All in favor say ‘ay’. Unanimous.” 

Silence descended upon the “inmates”, as they 
called themselves, of Lakeview Suite on Lakeview 
Corridor. 


A 






* 

> 

38 THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


CHAPTER III. 

GREYCLIFF CLUBS. 

The majority of Greycliff girls enjoyed the chapel 
period. Attendance was compulsory, but there was 
the home feeling of people with many thoughts and 
activities in common and the interest of knowing 
what was going on. From the platform where sat 
the faculty, the sight of those girlish faces must 
have been an inspiration. And as to the girls, there 
were times when they really appreciated the fine 
array of talent upon the platform. There was Miss 
Randolph, whose face was beautiful, with fine 
thoughts and high ideals. There were intellectual 
men and bright, earnest women, whose chief pur¬ 
pose was to unfold truth in teaching their subjects 
to these girls. At times, to be sure, members of the 
faculty would come to the conclusion that none of 
the girls were endowed with minds and that all 
their efforts were wasted. This conclusion would 
be reached over a set of examination papers on 
which the class had done its worst. On the other 
hand, in the eyes of the girls at times, the faculty 




THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


39 


were the most obstinate, particular, insistent group 
of people that ever existed, when they stood in the 
way of some cherished plan, or imposed distasteful 
tasks! But on the whole, the Greycliff relations 
between girls and teachers were most pleasant. At 
critical times, real love and appreciation came to 
the fore. 

On Thursday morning of this first week of school. 
Dr. Norris, who was reading the notices after the 
brief service, paused with a sheaf of small paper in 
his hands. “So many notices of meetings have been 
handed me, that I advise you either to make a note 
now of those in which you are interested, or to con¬ 
sult carefully the bulletin on which these will be 
posted. Many of them are only for organization 
and ought to be brief. Most of them occur on Fri¬ 
day evening or some time Saturday.” There fol¬ 
lowed such a list of clubs that most of the faculty 
were smiling and the girls laughing or giggling 
before Dr. Norris had finished. Some of the clubs 
had odd names, or Greek letter titles, which rather 
concealed any purpose the club might have than 
revealed it. The dramatic club, the musical club, 
the “Greycliff Orchestral Society”, the art club, the 
athletic council, the debating club and others, all 
announced meetings. 

“And to think that we have the effrontery to 
start any more!” whispered Helen to Juliet. 


40 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


Class meetings were also announced, among them 
the senior academy meeting. But two busy days of 
class work came before these important gatherings. 
Our girls’ minds were in a whirl of studies, plans, 
and various social relations. There were so many 
attractive girls, so many forms of activity opening 
beside the courses of study. One girl could not by 
any possibility enter into everything, but it was a 
great temptation to undertake too much. 

“Mercy, Cathalina,” cried Hilary, “do you remem¬ 
ber how many hours you thought too many last 
year?” This was after lunch on Thursday, as the 
girls went for their text books before the afternoon 
recitations. 

“No, but I know that I have some ambition this 
year,” replied Cathalina. “ Father says that I can,— 
may—paint this year, and that’s that. Then my 
course is as full as they’ll let me make it. As I 
have so much collegiate credit ahead, Miss Randolph 
says that I can have my senior academy rank.” 

“Good!” 

“Yes, isn’t it? And by taking the French, I get 
credit for the course, and yet I can read it so 
easily in the time I have to plan for study that it 
will hardly count. It hardly seems fair!” 

“Why not? You never had credit for it before, 
and yet with your private lessons and all your prac- 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


41 


tice talking it, even with the French maids you used 
to have, you really know it.” 

“I suppose that is so. The one course is quite 
advanced and has a lot of new words in it, but that 
is all. I’ll make a vocabulary list and commit the 
new words in between times.” 

“That’s what I always say I’ll do and never get 
at it, but I’m going to reform.” 

“What athletics are you going into, Hilary?” 

“Basketball, of course, and riding lessons, with 
some Gym work, I guess. How about you ?” 

“I like tennis, and I’m down for regular Gym 
work this year. I’ll ride and swim a little, but 
my work is going to keep me busy. Father isn’t 
afraid that I’ll hie me away to painting every spare 
minute, but I’ll be tempted sometimes. You rout 
me out, will you, Hilary?” 

“Yes, indeed. We girls will see to it that the 
distinguished artist does not ruin her health over her 
masterpieces. Can’t you make your schedule include 
your outdoor doings and keep to it?” 

“Perhaps I can work it out. I like this life! 
There’s something to do all the time and all kinds 
of good times to plan for. Our societies will be 
such fun! My course is not really hard. Math 
will take time, and the two Latins. I’m skipping 
English this year, because I had ‘Lit’ with the colle- 
giates last year.” 


42 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


4 ‘Do you think you will come back for the two 
collegiate years ?” 

“I don’t know; I hope so, don’t you want to?” 

“Yes.” 

After the afternoon classes were over a number 
of girls strolled back to Greycliff Hall with their 
books and tablets, while others deposited their 
belongings here and there, and gathered on the 
grass, in the swings or elsewhere. Lilian suggested 
to Hilary and Eloise that they stop to take a look 
at the south parlor, offered by Miss Randolph as 
headquarters for the proposed academy literary 
societ}^. 

“Do you suppose we can get in?” 

“We can try it.” 

The door was unlocked, yielding immediately to 
Lilian’s rather hesitating attempt to open it, and 
the three girls walked in. “I don’t believe I was 
ever in the room before,” said Lilian. “Why don’t 
they use it?” 

“They do sometimes for a practice room,” said 
Hilary. “I think that Patty practices in here. But 
since they have the new annex with all the music 
rooms they don’t need it much, and it is too far 
from the rest to be used for a bedroom, and they 
certainly don’t need it for a parlor any more. It 
was used for a teachers’ parlor for a while, till they 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 43 

took a bigger room in the new part. But what I 
wonder is that some club has not taken it before.” 

“I don’t think that any new clubs have been started 
for some time. The little private clubs, of course, 
wouldn’t ask for any room.” 

“I love this dark woodwork, don’t you?” 

“Yes; we must have it furnished with dark 
chairs.” 

“My, Lilian, have you gotten that far along?” 

“Yes, why not? I can just see how it is going 
to look. That is a good piano—till we get our 
own.” 

“Good!” exclaimed Eloise. “That is the way 
to think about it. We can raise the money.” 

“We’ll just love our little society hall and have 
the best times! I can see us having candy sales and 
things for the benefit of the What-do-you-call-it 
Literary Sassiety.” 

“There you are, Lilian. What are we going to 
call ourselves?” 

“Rack your brains, girls. Maybe some bright 
idea will strike us. Name, motto, officers, consti¬ 
tution, membership,—but it will be fun to think 
about it. I want Hilary for president, because she 
thought about it first and is used to societies and 
things in church work. She will know how to 

k yy 

. 


44 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“O, no,—” began Hilary, but was not permitted 
to go on. 

“Please don't begin that way, Hilary,” said Eloise. 
“We all ought to do our best in starting this, and I 
think all the girls feel that you will make our best 
first president. In after years,” she continued loftily, 
“when our descendants come to Greycliff, they will 
be shown a han4some painting, done by the world- 
renowned artist, Cathalina Van Buskirk, of Madam 
Hilary Lancaster—Somebody, first president of the 
Shakespearean Literary Society!” 

'‘Listen to the inspired lady! By the way,” said 
Hilary, “that would not be a bad name.” 

“School societies usually have a Greek or Latin 
name and some unreadable motto that half the mem¬ 
bers don't understand.” Thus Eloise. 

“It's classic and all right,” said Lilian. “Father 
says he does not want schools to get away from the 
old classical studies, but I, too, think that the name 
of some great English author would be fine for our 
society. The collegiate societies have the other sort 
of names.” 

Friday night came at last. In “Lakeview Suite” 
were Hilary, Lilian, Cathalina, Betty, Eloise, Helen, 
Juliet, Pauline, Isabel and Avalon. Lilian and Betty 
had just come in, each with a pan of hot fudge. 

“Goody, girls!” exclaimed Isabel. “I was just 
wondering when we were going to have any eats and 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 45 

parties. Do you girls remember Hilary’s birthday 
box?” 

“Do we remember!” exclaimed Pauline. “I can 
even taste that chicken yet!” 

“Lilian and I are going to celebrate together this 
year,” announced Hilary, smiling. “Our birthdays 
come only a month apart, so we shall have two 
boxes.” 

“You know I always did like you, Hilary,” said 
Isabel with great feeling, moving around to where 
Hilary stood. 

“Little humbug,” said Hilary, as distinctly as 
she could with a bit of fudge that was a little too 
warm for comfort. 

Isabel pretended to be crushed, but as Hilary 
added, “You’re all invited to the party,” she “reg¬ 
istered” joy, as they do in the moving pictures, and 
said with satisfaction, “ Now there is something to 
look forward to for October, or is it November?” 

“The date will be announced later,” said Lilian, 
“but we must get down to business tonight.” 

The matter of the literary society was taken up 
first and the committee made its report. Eloise had 
again been appointed chairman. A simple constitu¬ 
tion was presented. On this the committee had had 
help from Miss West, as had been suggested. That 
out of the way, the election of officers and selection 
of a name was proposed. Everybody thought that 


46 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


The Shakespearean Literary Society of the Academy 
was good, and a committee was appointed to look up 
some quotations from Shakespeare from which a 
good motto could be selected. 

‘To be or not to be,” suggested Isabel, rolling 
the r in “or”. 

“There’s one beginning To thine own self be 
true’ that is good,” said Pauline. 

“There will be plenty of them,” said Lilian. 
“Let’s leave that to the committee, to hunt them up 
and bring a good list. Patty can help us there, too, 
if she will.” 

“Is it necessary to have ballots?” ask Eloise. 

“We all know, I think, whom we want for 
officers,” said Cathalina. 

“My, we’re getting to be regular politicians,” said 
Avalon. 

“Nonsense; this is for a good purpose,” said 
Juliet. 

“So they think,” said Avalon. 

“Honestly, girls,” said Hilary, “do you think i i 
is all right for us to start this by ourselves?” 

“Of course we do,” replied Avalon, who did not 
wish to be thought serious in her comments. 

“We argued that all out before, you know, Hil¬ 
ary,” said Eloise. “It is our own idea. It isn’t as 
if any body else was going to do it and we were 
trying to get ahead of them. And are we doing it 


i 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


47 


for ourselves? Does Hilary want to be president 
and do all the hardest work?—Nominations for 
president are now in order.” 

Hilary laughed and settled back with resignation 
to the inevitable. For with no hesitation her name 
was proposed, and she was unanimously elected. 
Lilian was made vice-president and Juliet secretary. 
Pauline was treasurer and was to be at the head of 
any plans for furniture or other desired possessions 
of the society. 

“I suggest that we only appoint one member of 
the program committee from our number and let 
her select from the new members whomever she 
wants to work with her. By the constitution, too, 
our president is to have general oversight of the 
program.” 

“That is a good idea, Cathalina,” said Eloise, “do 
you so move?” 

Cathalina so moved, and as soon as possible 
nominated Isabel for chairman of the program com¬ 
mittee. Isabel protested that there ought to be one 
of the older girls. 

“Get one to serve with you, then,” she was told. 
“You know most of the girls and what they can do 
in a literary way, and all of us will help with sug¬ 
gestions if you need any.” 

The officers elected, the election of members came 
next. Hilary suggested a quick way of disposing 


48 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


of this. “Let all of us write the names of girls 
that we think would make good members and hand 
the names to a nominating committee. Then let 
them present the names that are on all the lists, or 
enough of them.” 

“How many new members do we want?” asked 
Cathalina. 

“There are ten of us, aren’t there? What do you 
say to beginning with twenty-five members? That 
room will hold twice as many, but twenty-five will 
be enough for not having the same people on the 
programs too often, and we can add girls that we 
get acquainted with later. Isn’t the school full this 
year? They had to refuse some, Alma said, because 
they couldn’t squeeze any more in and care for 
them properly.” 

Cathalina, Betty and the rest hurried around to get 
enough pencils together and tear the paper that 
they had already provided in several tablets. 

“Can we talk the girls over and compare lists 
beforehand?” asked Avalon. 

“Of course,” said Eloise. “Who has the list of 
girls in the academy?” 

“I have,” replied Lilian. 

“Will you read it slowly, then?” 

“Lilian did so, while the girls listened attentively 
and often jotted down a name on their lists. 

“Now take all the time you want for talking it 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


49 


over. I want to do it too. I will call you to order 
after a little.” 

Consultation was in order now, and the full list 
of academy students was passed from hand to hand. 

“Who are ‘Catherine Lawrence’ and ‘Dorothy 
Bryant’, put together on the list?” asked Helen. 

“They are two new girls who have entered as 
juniors,” answered Hilary. 

“Yes, and they are fine girls, I think,” added 
Cathalina. “Catherine was playing for some of the 
girls in the big parlors the other night, and she 
plays so well for a girl of her age, classical music, 
too.” 

“She and Dorothy are from the same town,” said 
Isabel. “Dorothy is taking music, too, and is in 
one of the elocution classes.” 

“Let’s have them, then.” Two names went down 
on several lists. 

Finally all the lists were complete with fifteen 
names of first choice and five names of second choice, 
for fear that time would be lost if there were not: 
enough votes for the same ones the first time. But 
it was proof that the girls thought of ability as well 
as personal preference that fifteen girls were at 
once selected and their names returned by the “nom¬ 
inating committee”. Louise Monroe, Jane Mills, 
Ruth Russell, Alice Scott, and Lucile Houston were 
strong girls in the senior class. Evelyn Calvert 


50 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


could write or recite such clever dialect stories. 
Isabel had made a plea for Margaret Virginia Hope, 
the new girl from North Dakota. “And by the 
way, girls, she says she wants us to call her Vir¬ 
ginia from now on, and she has given her name to 
the teachers as Virginia.” 

“How crazy.” 

“She has a reason.” 

“Virginia” Hope it was, then, who was elected. 
She with Mary Johnston, Agnes and Nelle Pickett, 
and Nancy Gordon, were classmates of Isabel and 
Avalon. A few more juniors completed the fifteen. 

“Do you realize, girls, that we haven’t a single 
freshman ?” 

“I hadn’t thought of it, Cathalina, but that is so,” 
replied Hilary. 

“It was natural enough and perhaps just as well,” 
said Pauline. “Let them make good. They are 
all new except some that didn’t make the sopho¬ 
more class last year.” 

“And those we don’t want, for we must have 
some standard of scholarship in a literary society.” 

“Hurrah!” exclaimed Isabel. “The literary soci¬ 
ety is started. When shall we hear Hilary’s inaugu¬ 
ral address?” 

“There is isn’t going to be any,” declared Hilary. 

It was decided to meet regularly, like the other 
societies, on Friday night at seven-thirty. Hilary 




THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 51 

and the program committee were to arrange the 
first program for the following Friday. The first 
purchase was to be that of a musical bell, to be rung 
in the halls when the members were called to the 
meetings. 

‘‘There isn’t much time left, I’m afraid, for our 
other affair,” said Lilian. 

“O, yes; look,” and Hilary pointed to her clock. 
“We did wonders in quick work on the Shakespear¬ 
ean Society.” 

“That is because we had thought up what we 
wanted beforehand.” 

“Let’s have an informal meeting now, with Eloise 
to put it to vote occasionally,” said Betty. “I think 
she would make a fine president anyhow.” 

“O, no,” said Eloise; “Cathalina thought about 
it, besides.” 

“Cathalina positively declined to consider it,” 
said that young lady. “You know, girls, how I’m 
doubling up work this semester. I’ll work in the 
clubs, and I’ll need ’em for recreation, but please 
don’t ask me to be president.” 

Betty put the question after Eloise had been nom¬ 
inated and “seconded”, and the matter was con¬ 
cluded. Helen was to be secretary and treasurer. 
It was decided to have a pin, since it was not always 
convenient to wear a certain ring all the time. 
Cathalina asked permission to see about these pins 


52 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


in New York, to be the great delight of the girls 
who knew that they would be all the more beautiful 
and artistic if she attended to it. 

“What ‘object’ are we going to have, if Miss Ran¬ 
dolph inquires?” she asked. 

“What could we have,” asked Lilian, “except to 
be together and have a good time, and stand by each 
other and help the other girls all we can ?” 

“I think she would think that enough,” said Cath- 
alina. “This is just a social club, and of course 
wherever anything is to be done for the school or 
anybody we can take hold, too. Father is always 
quoting, ‘Therefore it is meet that noble minds keep 
ever with their likes,’ when he is talking about our 
keeping good company.” 

“What is that from, Cathalina?” 

“Julius Caesar. A speech by Cassius about Bru¬ 
tus, I think.” 

“Girls, we haven’t a name yet,” reminded Eloise. 

“Greycliff’s Giggling Girls,” suggested Isabel. 

“The Grey Cliff-Dwellers.” 

“The Helping Hand Club, with a hand for a 
pin!” 

“The Truth Seekers,—with a lantern!” 

“Eloise says that her favorite emblem is a harp, 
a lyre or a banjo.” 

“Get the name to fit the pin, then. How would 
the Happy Harpers do?” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


5a 


“Come on, girls, be sensible,” said Hilary. 

“I think that it would be sensible to leave the 
name another week or so. Maybe the designs for 
pins will help us, or somebody will have a bright 
thought. There’s the bell now!” 

“All right, Helen, shall we, girls?” asked Eloise, 
the president of this as yet nameless society. 

“We’ll have to,” said Juliet. “Good night, the 
fudge was awfully good.” 

“I begin to think that the “Fudge Club” wasn’t 
such a bad name after all,” said Isabel. “They prob¬ 
ably had a time to think up a name. ‘O, fudge’ is 
probably their motto.” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF. 



CHAPTER IV. 

CLASS POLITICS. 

Early Saturday morning Isabel flew into the suite 
occupied by Eloise, Helen, Pauline and Juliet. 
“Eve something to tell you,” said she. “Your class 
meeting comes this morning, doesn’t it?” 

“Yes,” replied Juliet, “at ten o’clock.” 

“Well did you know that some of the girls are 
planning to put in Myrtle Wiseman for president, 
and the other girls of that set for all the other 
offices ?” 

“What?” Eloise came to the door of the bedroom, 
her comb in hand, her long, dark hair falling around 
her shoulders and framing her bright face. 

“Margaret told me last night before flights out’. 
While we were at our meeting last night, Margaret, 
I mean Virginia, was in the library reading, and 
two girls came in and began to talk without paying 
any attention to her. There was hardly anybody 
there, she said, on account of all the meetings, and 
these girls talked in a low tone. They thought she 
was a new girl and wouldn’t know anybody, I sup- 


THE GIRLS OP GREYCLIFF 


55 


pose, in our crowd. At first Virginia said that she 
did not pay any attention, then she caught the names 
of some of you girls. All she got was that all of 
your crowd were to be kept from holding any office, 
and that Myrtle Wiseman was to be president. She 
remembered'that name.” 

“Myrtle hates Hilary so, and none of us have 
been more than polite since she made trouble between 
Hilary and Lilian last year. She is a trouble-maker, 
they say. But I wonder that they would put her up 
for president, because there are stronger girls in 
that crowd. I wonder who those girls in the library 
were.” 

“Virginia did not know them.” 

“I suppose they came in late after some meet¬ 
ing?” 

“Probably. I imagine that these are only Myrtle’s 
special friends and there might be some hope for us 
that Myrtle might be defeated.” 

“Dorothy Appleton would make a good presi¬ 
dent.” 

“She would be too much influenced by Myrtle 
and the rest, Juliet.” 

“O, I don’t know about that, Eloise. Dorothy is 
pretty independent, especially if anything important 
comes up. I think Dorothy wants to be fair.” 

“Would you mind, Isabel, going over and tell- 


56 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


ing Hilary and the rest, and asking them to come to 
our suite after breakfast ?” 

“Fll go, and I suppose Virginia and Avalon and 
I are to say nothing about what we heard?” 

“If you please for the present. And thank you 
so much, Isabel, for telling us. We’ll tell you how 
it all comes out.” 

“Did you hear that, Pauline?” 

“I’m not sure that I got it all. Myrtle Wiseman 
for president?” 

“Yes. Wouldn’t that be awful!” 

“We’ve been too busy with our clubs we’re start¬ 
ing to pay any attention to class doings. But I guess 
we do not want any offices.” 

“No, but we don’t want to be run by people like 
that, either.” 

“Class spirit is rather important sometimes.” 

“Yes, I wish we had talked with the other girls 
more.” 

“I just thought that it would be like the usual 
meetings without any doubt that we could get good 
officers to represent the class.” 

So ran the conversation. After breakfast the 
other girls came hurrying in. “What shall we 
do about it? Anything?” was the general query. 

“For one thing,” said Eloise, “when they nom¬ 
inate Myrtle one of us can hop right up and nomi¬ 
nate some one else.” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


57 


“One of our own crowd?” 

“Not necessarily, but one not so opposed to us 
as Myrtle is. She would even work against us, 
you know.” 

“I tell you what I think would be the best thing to 
do,” said Pauline. 

“Hear, hear! Pauline!” 

“They would be expecting us to nominate one 
of our girls and if we pick out a girl outside that 
everybody likes she would stand a good chance of 
being elected. They will have to work to get Myrtle 
in, you know. She is not a popular girl at all.” 

“That is a good idea, Pauline,” said Lilian, “and 
if we could get the best girl in their own crowd they 
would not know what to do. Do you remember 
how the great generals always did, Caesar and the 
rest, plan to divide the enemies’ forces?” 

“Well I don’t see that we would make any mis¬ 
take in putting Dorothy in. She is popular, and inde¬ 
pendent, and I’m sure she would never stand for 
anything mean if she knew it, and we’ll see that she 
knows it if ever anything comes up in the class 
meetings.” 

“Would you or Hilary be willing to nominate 
Dorothy? It would have more effect if you would, 
because the girls would immediately think why.” 

“O, no, Eloise, please; we want to forget that 
awful time!” 


58 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“Let Pauline do it,” said Cathalina. “Pauline 
has been here several years and her athletic ‘prowess’ 
gives her influence.” 

“Yes, and I think Pauline could do it without 
any special feelings being aroused. That would be 
better,” said Hilary. “We don’t want to split up the 
class or anything. I don’t hate Myrtle at all. I’m 
sorry for her, but I wouldn’t want her to run any¬ 
thing I was connected with.” 

“Hear our good old Hilary. She is right. Let’s 
not talk to anybody, but handle it all at the meet¬ 
ing. If we could get one of Dorothy’s chums to 
second the nomination and give her a little boost, it 
would be fine. Pick out Julia Merton or pretty 
little Margaret Brown, Pauline, and sit by her. 
They are crazy about Dorothy.” 

“All right, Eloise, said Pauline. “I can hon¬ 
estly do my part for Dorothy. I like her very much.” 

“Poor Myrtle!” said Hilary. 

“Don’t get soft-hearted, Hilary,” admonished 
Eloise. “If it were just some kind sacrifice you 
could make for her I wouldn’t say a word, but when 
it comes to letting a whole class in for trouble it 
is different!” 

“Be on time for the meeting, girls,” was Pauline’s 
last word, as the girls of Lakeview suite departed. 

“Don’t worry. We’ll be there when the meeting 
is called to order.” 


i 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


59 


The girls were a little excited, not knowing just 
what to expect from Myrtle and her friends, but 
feeling sure that Dorothy would prove more popular 
and receive a majority of the votes. There was 
the possibility that more names would be presented, 
but that did not matter as long as Myrtle were not 
elected. It turned out better than they had hoped. 
Myrtle was promptly nominated and the nomination 
was seconded by a special friend. Pauline rose 
quickly and nominated Dorothy, who was not pres¬ 
ent. This made a little stir among the girls and 
evidently threw confusion into the camp of the 
enemy, for as Pauline had hoped, Julia Merton, tall 
and of the studious type, seconded the nomination of 
Dorothy with great spirit. Dorothy was elected with 
a large majority, and two sweet girls without “polit¬ 
ical” attachments were chosen for vice-president and 
secretary. The danger was past! Isabel and Ava¬ 
lon were coached not to say a word about the matter, 
and while Myrtle and her friends viewed Pauline 
and the rest with a bit of suspicion, they finally con¬ 
cluded that it was just the old affair that could of 
course be counted on to prevent their accepting 
Myrtle. 

“Pauline was terribly prompt in nominating Dor¬ 
othy/’ said Myrtle. 

“Yes, but I expected Hilary and Lilian to be on 
their feet at once,” said her friend who knew some- 


60 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


thing about last year's difficulty. “I don’t see how 
they could know anything about our plans.” 

That afternoon there was the hoped for trip to the 
city. Several small parties wanted to go and were 
put in charge of as many teacher chaperons. Grey- 
cliff had a shining new motor 'bus, which took them 
to the village, and there they caught the early after¬ 
noon train for the city. 

Isabel had told Lilian about Virginia’s desire to 
buy some clothes under her oversight and Lilian had 
run in to see Virginia once or twice to confer. 
“Better have a list of things we want to get,” she 
said, “because the city is a dizzy place and I’m always 
tempted to get something I don’t need.” 

“Her check was a nice big one,” Isabel told 
Lilian. “I think she’d better get her winter fixings, 
a good coat and a one-piece Sunday dress that she 
could wear on different occasions, and maybe a 
skirt that hangs right for school and a pretty 
sweater.” 

“You make a list with her,” said Lilian, “and then 
I’ll go over it later, and we must think about colors 
that she ought to wear. Cathalina will be along 
and her ideas will be good on that.” 

Never had Virginia had such a day, from the 
time when the ’bus with “giggling Greycliff girls”. 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


61 


according to Isabel, started from the school, to the 
shadowy evening hours when she returned laden with 
packages, with more to be sent out Monday. She 
squeezed Isabel’s hand happily, as she sat between 
her and Avalon and whispered, “Wait till I write to 
my good old Dad that sent me here where I could 
know you girls, and sent me that check for clothes.’’ 

“It’s funny about clothes,” said Isabel. “They 
don’t make your character, of course, but it does 
seem to have an awful effect on you to have the right 
things to wear, a sort of support to your—um— 
moral courage.” 

Virginia’s hair was so “scraggly and faded in 
spots”, as she said, that Lilian had advised her to 
have it cut nicely while she was in the city, and wear 
it fluffed about her face, tied on the side with a 
wide ribbon, as the girls were wearing it then, when 
their hair was short. This performance so changed 
her that she insisted on stopping at one of the places 
of quick photography and having a picture made to 
send home to her father. “I’ll write under it, ‘This 
is me, would you know me?’ and tell him that I 
expect to put something inside of the head, too, 
before I see him again. He works so hard! O, I 
can wear my new dress to the Y. W. reception 
tonight, can’t I?” 


62 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“Of course you can/’ replied Avalon, “your pretty 
pumps, too. It’s a good thing we did not want to 
get much ourselves!” 

“Yes. I’m sorry you have had so much trouble 
for me.” 

“O, I did not mean that; it was fun. But as we 
did not get any big things, we could bring some of 
yours that you need right away.” 

They had wisely not tried to run all round getting 
things here and there, but had chosen one big depart¬ 
ment store, which carried good things at all prices, 
and had taken Virginia from one department to 
another, shopping for themselves too, till Virginia 
said she was dizzy with clothes and happiness. And 
when they were about ready to drop, they met their 
chaperone at a tea room near, where Virginia sat 
in silent bliss, eating whatever the other girls sug¬ 
gested, and looking around at the place and people 
to her heart’s content. They would return too late 
for the Greycliff meal, but in time for the reception, 
which was from eight to nine-thirty, probably ten, 
as the girls thought. 

Both Lilian and Isabel came around to assist in 
Virginia’s toilet. “You can’t make me pretty,” said 
Virginia, “but I do look nice, and not so different,— 
and I think that you are the loveliest girls I ever 
saw or heard of!” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


63 


Lilian gave her a bright, sympathetic smile, but 
told her that she was entirely mistaken as to her 
character, while Isabel bowed with her hand on her 
heart and offered her an arm of escort to the parlors. 

The “Y. W.” reception was like most receptions 
for the purpose of having the girls meet each other. 
There was a receiving line of girls and faculty. 
Then a committee was on hand to take the girls to a 
table where they were tagged with their own names. 
The old girls were told to make themselves useful in 
introducing themselves and others to the new girls, 
but the new girls received special attention. At a 
pretty table, covered with white linen, flowers, and 
sparkling glasses, lemonade was ladled out of a cut- 
glass punch bowl, and served with wafers. The 
faculty were cordial and wore their company apparel, 
doing their best to meet the girls naturally on a 
social footing, to forget class work and to remember 
names. Fortunately, the scheme of having names 
pinned on prevented many mistakes on the part of 
both faculty and girls. 

“Were your slippers comfortable ?” asked Avalon 
of Virginia on the way upstairs. 

“Not very, but they will be when they are not so 
new,” Virginia replied hopefully. 

“Your name is 'Hope’,” Isabel reminded her. 
“Well this has been a week! But I’ve had a great 
time. Is your roommate coming next week?” 


64 THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 

“I think so, but I dread it a little.” 

“It will be a lot better for you to be with some¬ 
body. It’s too lonesome by yourself, especially when 
you’re new.” 

“I can’t like anybody as well as you and Avalon.” 
“Don’t say that,—who knows?” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


65 


CHAPTER V. 

THE SENIOR-FRESHMAN PARTY. 

The second week of school was scarcely less 
full than the first. Among other things, the invita¬ 
tions were to be sent out to the new members of the 
Shakespearean Literary Society, and the program 
was to be arranged for the following Friday night. 
Cathalina made some artistic invitations, and Hilary, 
with Isabel, made short work of arranging a pro¬ 
gram. They met in Isabel’s room Monday after 
recitations. Hilary breezed in with a tablet in her 
hand, notes already made of the things to be done. 

“I’ve just seen the chief janitor, Isabel, and 
arranged to have enough chairs taken in the south 
parlor Friday night, and engaged Miss Smith to 
make us some sandwiches and cocoa, so all I’ll have 
to do will be to remind them on Friday afternoon. 
Of course we can’t have sandwiches or other things 
to eat every time, but I thought we ought to cele¬ 
brate starting the new society, and entertain the new 
members. Now for the program.” 


66 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“I think that the purpose of the society ought to 
be explained by you, Hilary, in a sort of ‘inaugural 
address’, and then everybody has to pledge them¬ 
selves to support the society,—wasn’t that what the 
constitution said?” 

“Yes. All that would have to come in the busi¬ 
ness meeting part, though an inaugural address 
would naturally be a part of the program.” 

“Put it together this time, then.” 

“I don’t believe we’d better have a regular pro¬ 
gram at this first meeting.” 

“No. Let’s not. I tell you, you go in and take 
your chair and we’ll all greet the new president with 
loud applause!” 

Hilary laughed. 

“Then somebody will go for the new members 
who will be waiting in some room near, and bring 
them in and put them in the front seats. And 
then is when I think you ought to explain about 
what the society is for and say anything else that 
you have in mind.” 

“Yes. That would be the natural time. Then 
the secretary would read the constitution and put 
the pledge to the new members.” 

“Have ’em all stand in a row or circle while 
they hear and take the pledge of allegiance!” 

“Too bad we haven’t pins to badge them with!” 

“We’ll pin our colors on them!” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 67 

Hilary laughed again. ‘‘What are our colors?” 

“We’ll have to adopt some. I never thought of 
that before.” 

“Funny some of us didn’t!” 

“That will be easy. Call the ten of us together 
Friday afternoon,—no, because we’ll have to send for 
the ribbon.” 

“No time like the present. We can decide on the 
colors after dinner tonight.” 

“When will Cathalina have the invitations 
ready?” 

“Tomorrow. She is just fixing some tiny cards in 
envelopes, not much on them, inviting them to 
‘become members of the Shakespearean Literary 
Society’. I hope nobody will refuse.” 

“Well, after they are all initiated, what then?” 

“The program. Ay, there’s the rub!” 

“Easy. Get Lilian and Eloise to sing a duet. 
They were trying a lovely one. Then ask Dorothy 
Bryant to play a piano solo, tell her she is going to 
be invited to join and we need her. Evelyn will 
give us a dialect story, I’m sure, and, let’s see. O, 
there’s Ruth Russell with her violin. Do you remem¬ 
ber how well she played last year?” 

“Yes. You’re a whole program committee by 
yourself, Isabel.” 

Isabel looked pleased. “We ought to have another 
literary number,” she said, “but the trouble is that 


68 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


nobody has time to get up anything new. I wonder 
if Cathalina has that pretty little story that she 
wrote for the class last year. She tried it out on 
me, but nobody much has heard it. She got an A 
on it, but I think she said that when she read it 
half the girls were out with grippe. Anyhow they 
were the collegiates. It was the composition with 
the Lit. class. ,, 

‘Tm going to leave it all to you, then, Isabel. 
May I count on you ?” 

“You may. Go on and write your inaugural 
address in peace!” 

“Will you get word to the girls about the colors, 
so they will be thinking about them and be ready 
to choose them tonight?” 

“Yes. Where shall we meet?” 

“In our suite, if you don’t mind.” 

But of equal importance was a social event of 
Saturday, to be planned and carried out by the 
seniors, who always entertained and initiated the 
freshmen. As the entire class had part in getting 
this affair ready and had appointed the committees 
after the election of officers at their first meeting, 
no great responsibility rested upon Lakeview suite 
or its chief mate in Lakeview Corridor. Eloise had 
suggested naming that Sleepy Hollow, one night 
when everybody was tired and yawning, but the 
name was too inappropriate to continue. 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


69 


“Dear me,” said Cathalina, as the girls were dis¬ 
cussing the plans for this senior-freshman party, 
“we’re really seniors this year and have all the 
duties and honors of our rank. What is the purpose 
of this ?” 

“Cathalina,” said Betty, “we must have ‘objects* 
and ‘purposes’ on the brain, and no wonder. 
There isn’t any to this, except to welcome the fresh¬ 
men. The ‘initiation’ is in place of any hazing. 
Miss Randolph won’t hear to the least bit of that. 
If a girl wants to find herself at home in a jiffy, 
just let her try some of it. But I do hope that the 
committee will think up something funny.” 

At that moment there came a knock on the door 
and two senior girls were admitted. “May we 
have Lilian?” they asked. 

“She and Hilary went over to the library about 
half an hour ago, and then were going down to 
the lake.” 

The girls refused the invitation to linger and visit, 
promising to do so at another time, and continued 
the search for Lilian. When the bell rang for dinner 
Hilary and Lilian were seen coming from the direc¬ 
tion of the lake arm in arm with these girls, all 
talking and laughing at a great rate. 

“What’s the fun?” asked Isabel, as she passed 
them. 



70 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“A great secret, Isabel,” returned Lilian. “If 
it were mine, Fd tell you.” 

i “Of course you’ve been to court lots of times if 
your father’s a judge,” one of the girls was saying. 

“Mercy, no. He won’t let me. O, I’ve been in 
once or twice for a little while.” 

“I suppose we ought to know ‘how the other 
half lives’, though.” 

“Father says not, not for young people, anyway, 
and he ought to know. He can convince any¬ 
body, too.” 

The girls were naturally curious about what Lilian 
was to do, she explained that what was being done 
by the committee was to be kept secret and that 
she had promised. “If any of you are asked to do 
something too, then I can tell, to a certain extent.” 

“How mysterious. I like to be surprised,” said 
Cathalina. 

Lilian, in frantic haste, sent off a special delivery 
letter to her father, and received one in reply. A 
large package was brought to the suite for Lilian. 
Announcement of the senior-freshman party was 
made at dinner on Tuesday and the freshmen cor¬ 
dially invited for Saturday afternoon, from three 
to five, “and that means that you are asked to be 
seated in the hall at three o’clock”. The party was 
to be held in one of the collegiate society halls. 
The freshmen were interested and curious to know 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


71 


what was going on, for they had heard rumors of 
an initiation. The senior girls were paying them 
a good deal of attention this week, partly to get 
acquainted with them, partly because of their base 
designs upon them. Lilian declared that she was 
almost distracted with the different things she had to 
think of. She begged off with Isabel in regard to 
the proposed duet for society with Eloise, and Eloise 
consented to sing a solo instead. 

Hilary kept thinking of matters that must be 
proposed at the literary society meeting. They had 
decided that the matter of colors should be voted on 
by the whole society, also that the matter of society 
pins was to be considered. There were some other 
girls that they found they wanted. Those names 
must be brought up. 

Meanwhile Betty struck upon a name that she 
thought would do for the smaller club. She was 
reading Guerber’s “Myths of Greece and Rome”, 
having had to look up the stories about Cupid 
in connection with a reference to Cupid and Venus 
in one of her lessons. Suddenly she exclaimed, 
“Cathalina, here’s our emblem and club name! 
Listen. Don’t you think that butterfly pins would 
be scrumptious?” 

“They’d be lovely!” exclaimed Cathalina with 
enthusiasm. 

“How about a Psyche club, then ? Psyche means 



72 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


soul, and this story means love and faith and effort 
and reaching Olympus at last. And Psyche is always 
represented with butterfly wings, that means immor¬ 
tality. There’s such a pretty story told here of 
‘undying love’, how Phyche’s wicked sisters got her 
to believe that perhaps her husband, Cupid, was 
some ugly monster because he did not want her to 
see him. Here is some poetry quoted from Lewis 
Morris: 

“Dear, I am with thee only while I keep 
My visage hidden; and if thou once shouldst see 
My face, I must forsake thee: the high gods link 
Link Love with Faith, and he withdraws himself 
From the full gaze of Knowledge.” 

“But Psyche got a lamp ready and a dagger, ready 
to kill him if he were a monster, the way they do in 
those old mythological tales, but she is supposed 
to be very kind and didn’t want to do it, especially 
as she loved Cupid so much. Then a drop of burn¬ 
ing hot oil fell on Cupid’s shoulder, woke him up, 
and he flew away with his bow and arrows, right 
through the open window. Here’s another quota¬ 
tion, from the same author: 

“Farewell! There is no love except with Faith, 
And thine is dead! Farewell! I come no more!” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


73 


“Wasn’t that heart-breaking? Psyche was very 
unhappy and looked everywhere for Cupid, and 
finally Ceres advised her to go and be a servant to 
Venus, who was jealous of Psyche in the beginning 
and started all the trouble. Psyche worked very 
hard and even went down into Hades to get a 
beauty ointment for Venus. On the way back she 
thought she needed some of it herself, so she opened 
the box and the spirit of Sleep came out of it and 
put her to sleep. I wonder if that means that sleep 
is the best means of beauty! But Cupid came along, 
and as he still loved Psyche, he made the spirit of 
sleep get back into the box and took Psyche to 
Olympus, where Venus was all right, and Cupid 
married Psyche, and they were happy. Now don’t 
you like that ? The high gods link love with 
Faith!” 

“I’m not sure that I like the name Tsyche Club’. 
But I like the idea of it, love, faith, immortality and 
and keeping on till you reach Olympus. And 
the butterfly pins would be the dearest things. Would 
you like enamel ones with butterfly colors, or gold 
or platinum with a few tiny jewels?” 

“We could not afford the platinum, I’m afraid.” 

“We’ll talk it over with the girls.” 

“If you want some other name, we could put it 
into Latin or Greek and take the initials.” 




74 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


‘‘Listen to our classic Betty! So easy to put it 
into Greek, for instance.” 

“Patty could do it for us, or Dr. Norris.” 

“True. I hadn’t thought of that. ‘Nothing 
below Olympus,’ or ‘Nothing less than Olympus.’ 
I could almost think up the Latin for that myself, 
Nihil . . minus . . um . . quam Olympus. 

Wait till I get my dictionary from the girls. Helen 
borrowed my lexicon for something or other.” 

“There’s not much use trying to work anything 
up for this week. Lessons, society meeting and 
the senior-freshman party are all I can do. Did you 
ever see such long lessons as we are having, or do 
I imagine it?” 

“I think it is harder to get started than usual. 
I have to study nearly all the time. I suppose they 
think that we are seniors and can do more.” 

Again they were looking forward to Friday night 
and Saturday, but school girls always do that. Every 
girl who was invited to join the literary society 
accepted. The first meeting went off without a 
hitch in the proceedings, Hilary covering herself 
with glory in her quiet management of it all and 
her strong, sensible little speech. It was planned 
to bring in some of the freshmen as soon as they 
should know them a little better, and to create a 
few more offices. Miss Randolph thought that 
enough chairs could be found to equip the 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


75 


hall until the girls had plans and money for their 
own furniture. Cathalina longed to have her father 
send on the “whole thing”, but Miss Randolph said 
that it would not do. “If you want to give them a 
piano later, that would be a beautiful thing to do. 
But people love what they work for themselves.” 

On Saturday afternoon the freshmen, new, most 
of them, a little timid and strange, some of them, 
in these halls of learning, gathered promptly in the 
society hall to which they had been bidden. They 
slid into the back seats, while the senior girls who 
had no part in the plans of the committee sat in 
front or among them, very friendly and promising 
more social activity as soon as the program should 
be over. 

“Look at the arrangement of the chairs up front!” 
exclaimed Betty. “They’re going to have a court! 
That’s why they came after Lilian,—” But before 
Betty could finish her sentence, in came an imposing 
procession. Lilian was judge, in flowing robes. 
Dignified lawyers carried ponderous tomes. Even 
the court stenographers and reporters were repre¬ 
sented. A comical crew of jurymen filed in. The 
latter marched in step twice around the double row 
of twelve chairs, stood till the foreman gave a signal 
and sat down together. Little freshmen doubled 
over to laugh, and the seniors in the audience fol¬ 
lowed their example. “Look at the clothes of the 


76 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


jurymen!” shrieked one. But the bailiff, or some 
other dignified official, pounded for order. There 
were, it must be confessed, some differences between 
the method of conducting this court and the usual 
proceedure. But if anything this only added to 
the fun. 

Lilian wore some one’s senior cap and gown, 
imported for the occasion by one of the girls. That 
explained the big package which Lilian had had. 
Her hair piled high, as much of it out of sight as 
possible, she made a pretty Portia. Rising with 
much dignity and solemnity, she announced that the 
first case called would be that of the state against 
Edith Fuller. “Bring in the prisoner!” she sternly 
commanded. Whereupon the bailiff called loudly 
for Edith Fuller, and two officials marched down 
the aisle to where the astonished Edith sat. Edith 
had accompanied a sister to Greycliff, as one of the 
“little girls”, and had been chosen as the first victim 
because the senior committee thought that she would 
not be as likely to be embarrassed as the new girls. 
Meanwhile the rest could get used to the idea! 

“Is the prosecution ready?” inquired the judge. 

“The prosecution is ready, your honor,” declared 
the fierce prosecuting attorney. 

“Is the defense ready?” 

“Your honor, the defense is ready!” 

Edith was wondering of what she was supposed 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


77 


to be guilty, but rather enjoyed it, once she had 
recovered from her surprise at being a part of the 
show. 

“What is the charge against the prisoner?” 

The prosecuting attorney presented the case with 
an air of great importance. 

“On the nineteenth day of September, honorable 
judge and gentlemen of the jury, the defendant, as 
we shall prove in this court, assaulted A. Fly, with 
intent to kill, and upon the same date, within a few 
hours of the first dastardly attempt, took the life of 
S. Keeter. The prosecution proposes to show that 
the attack was premeditated and executed with 
deadly effect. The remains were viewed by several 
witnesses for the prosecution, and the act itself had 
two eye-witnesses.” 

A witness was called to the stand. A little 
delay ensued before this witness was sworn 
according to custom, and two officials left the room 
to bring in immediately the unmistakable bulk of 
Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, upon which the 
witness pledged herself to tell the truth, the whole 
truth and nothing but the truth. 

“Your name is Miss Constant Listener?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“What did you hear at four o'clock in the after¬ 
noon of September eighteenth?” 


78 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“I heard a terrible shriek from the hall outside 
my door.” 

“Describe your movements.” 

“I rose, went into the hall, saw the remains of the 
defunct S. Keeter, and the prisoner with blood upon 
her hand!” 

“Did she say anything?” 

“ Tve killed him!’ she said, gloating in her crime.” 

“That is all.” 

“Does the defense desire to question this wit¬ 
ness?” 

“No, your honor.” 

A few more witnesses were called by the prose¬ 
cuting attorney, all of whom testified to the death of 
S. Keeter by the hand (indeed, on the hand) of 
the prisoner. 

The defense announced that no attempt would be 
made to prove that the deed was not committed by 
the prisoner, although she had pleaded “not guilty”, 
but that it would be clearly shown that the prisoner 
acted in self-defense, after an unwarranted and 
blood-thirsty attack; that, by the opinion of experts, 
it was committed, also, during a fit of emotional 
insanity when the defendant was goaded beyond 
endurance by the aforesaid S. Keeter with a poisoned 
barb. Several witnesses called by the defense testi¬ 
fied to the attack by S. Keeter upon the defendant, to 
the high character of the prisoner, and her unusual 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


79 


behaviour at the time named by the prosecution. It 
was also brought out that the prisoner had no 
weapon at the time. 

Edith was called to the stand, but had a bright 
thought to avoid trouble. To each question put by 
the prosecution she replied that she would not 
answer 'Tor fear of incriminating” herself. This 
added interest and fun, but rather spoiled some of 
the plans. Finally the charge to the jury was made 
by Lilian: 

"Gentlemen of the jury, you have heard the testi¬ 
mony of the witnesses, and you have seen the guilty 
face of the prisoner at the bar! Remember to do 
your duty! Let not the ends of justice be thwarted!” 

The jury retired, calling forth a fresh burst of 
laughter as in their ridiculous costumes they merely 
paraded around the chairs, the bailiff holding up 
placards marked "One Hour”, "Two Hours”, "Three 
Hours”, "Four Hours”, till in the same manner as 
before the jury took their seats. When the foreman 
was called upon for his report, in an impressive 
manner he said, "After the deliberation of hours , 
the jury has unanimously reached the conclusion 
that the prisoner is GUILTY, but she is recom¬ 
mended to the mercy of the court.” 

"Remove the prisoner!” sternly said the judge. 
"The sentence will be imposed later. The next case 
will be heard.” 


80 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


Edith pretended to faint, and was assisted back 
to her seat by the same officials who had conducted 
her to the court. 

“Were you in the secret, Edith?” asked one timid 
little freshman. 

“No, indeed, couldn’t you see how surprised I 
was?” 

“Yes, but you began to act just like a play.” 

“Order in the court room! Order! Order! 
Is Grace Hathaway in the room ? Grace Hathaway! 
Grace Hathaway!” roared from the front. 

Now Grace was a shy little thing, new, and sur¬ 
prised, for she supposed that one case would end the 
mock court. But she rose, and timidly went to meet 
the two girls who came for her. “Don’t be scared,” 
whispered one of them. “Just answer up, or keep 
still if you like.” 

The case against Grace was quickly put through, 
with few witnesses. She was charged with dis¬ 
turbing the peace, her alarm clock going off for three 
consecutive mornings at five o’clock. Grace gasped 
and said, “But I don’t even own an alarm clock!” 
She was propertly rebuked by the court, and found 
guilty by the jury. Another freshman was charged 
with eating bean soup with a fork, on the day that 
the beans swelled and the soup dishes were full of 
“beans, not soup”, according to the defense. It 
was proven, however, without a doubt that bean 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLlFF 81 

soup is bean soup, and should be eaten with a spoon. 
The prisoner was found guilty. 

Several other grave offenses were brought up 
against freshmen girls and finally the rest were 
brought up in a body, charged with being too popu¬ 
lar, and found guilty. The judge then passed sen¬ 
tence upon all the prisoners, who were to eat ice¬ 
cream and cake till the supply was exhausted. At 
that sentence, the senior girls scattered to bring in 
and serve the cooling refreshments, for September 
usually is a summer month is some respects, at least, 
and ices still taste as they should. The rest of the 
time was spent in getting acquainted. The piano was 
opened and all the sounds of revelry indicated a 
good time. “It was a splendid party,” said one of 
the youngest freshmen to Lilian as the company 
broke up. “And I think you made a wonderful 
judge!” 


82 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


CHAPTER VL 

THE WRECK OF THE GREYCLIFF. 

Betty and Cathalina strolled away together from 
the senior-freshman party, and Betty asked if Cath¬ 
alina thought it possible to have a short meeting after 
dinner to consider whether they wanted to be a 
“Psyche Club” or not. 

“I have to study like everything tonight,” said 
Cathalina. “Just think,—I didn’t do a thing last 
night on account of the Shakespeare Society, and 
I spent lots of time that I couldn’t spare on the invi¬ 
tations. I’m not ahead on anything, not even 
French, and I have to keep ahead to get along!” 

“ ‘Keep ahead’ to ‘get along’ ? Our little Chinese 
girl would wonder what that meant, I guess.” 

“Very likely. Isn’t she a dear? We must take 
her into the literary society. It will help her to get 
the English. Well, as I was saying,—O, yes I did 
get out a Latin lesson with one of the girls in Patty’s 
Caesar class, right after class Friday afternoon. So 
much has happened that I had forgotten it. It 
wasn’t very long and we had part of the first book in 
the back of the beginning Latin book last year. I 


83 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 

looked up the words we didn’t know, in the vocabu¬ 
lary, and she kept the place in the notes, and we 
finished it in a little while, read it through twice. 
I love to work for Patty!” 

“What do you think, then ? Can you spare a little 
time before study hours? You oughtn’t to go right 
to work after dinner. It’s bad for your digestion 
anyhow, and so lovely out of doors!” So Betty 
enticed her chum. “Let’s go ’way up in the grove, 
all by our ’lonies.” 

“All right. You tell the other girls, and I’ll get 
my French book after dinner and read over the les¬ 
son in between times out in the grove.” 

“I’ll bet you don’t look at it,” said Betty, as she 
scampered off to speak to a few of the girls before 
dinner and tell them to pass the word around. No 
time was lost, and soon after the girls came pouring 
out of the dining-room, the ten girls who were form¬ 
ing the little society or circle were back among the 
whispering pines, birches, oaks and elms of Grey- 
cliff’s woods. 

They all liked Betty’s idea of the “soul, love, 
faith, effort” foundation, and the “nothing less than 
Olympus” or “nothing below Olympus” or something 
of the sort for a motto. “Cathalina, since you are 
to see to the pins, suppose you consult Patty or Dr. 
Norris and get something short either in English or 
Latin that could be engraved on our pins.” 


84 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


Cathalina came back with a start, having wandered 
away into her French story while Betty was telling 
the girls the details which she had explained to 
Cathalina when the idea first struck her. Eloise 
repeated her suggestion and Cathalina consented to 
be a committee on pin, name, and motto. “ ‘Psyche 
Club’ is all right,” continued Eloise, “but we might 
think of some other way to put it.” 

“The girls will be sure,” said Lilian, “to make 
remarks about our ‘beauty club’, because Psyche was 
so beautiful, you know, that even Venus was jealous 
of her.” 

“We needn’t care,” said Isabel, “what I’m so 
crazy about is the butterfly pin!” 

“The motto can go on the back of it, can’t it?” 
asked Avalon. 

“O, yes,” said Cathalina, “with the name and 
date. I think we ought to have ‘Greycliff’, too.” 

“You can’t have all that on a pin unless you get 
a big one.” 

“Maybe not. Which would you rather leave off ?” 

“The motto. We ought to have our names and 
'Greycliff’, whatever else we leave off.” 

“All right. I’ll get designs from New York, and 
it they don’t suit us we’ll make our own design. 
Lilian, you call the meeting to order. We have 
a reason, Eloise.” This was to explain why Eloise 
was not called upon as before. Lilian took the chair, 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


85 


figuratively speaking, for she sat on her bright 
sweater which was spread over a carpet of pine 
needles. Eloise was made president, “by acclama¬ 
tion”; Juliet, vice-president; Pauline, secretary. 
Cathalina, because of the pin proposition, was 
elected treasurer. 

“Besides,” said Isabel, who nominated Cathalina, 
“it wouldn’t do to have all the officers in the same 
suite. They might abscond with the whole society.” 

“Don’t mind me,” said Helen. “Of course, it is 
a blow to have all my suite-mates officers, but I’ll 
try to stand it.” 

As all the girls were in the same predicament as 
regards lessons, the meeting was a short one, and 
long before the study bell rang they started back to 
the Hall. Isabel and Avalon had hurried away first. 
Eloise and Helen had just disappeared within the 
big doors at the side entrance. Juliet and Pauline 
were strolling in advance of the other girls when 
suddenly Juliet turned and waved. “Bright idea!” 
she exclaimed. 

The other girls hurried up. “Pauline and I were 
just thinking that all this lovely September weather 
ought not to be wasted in little tramps or beach 
parties. Why not have a regular Greycliff picnic to 
to the Island?” 

“Sure enough!’ assented Hilary. “Why not, 
indeed? When would you have it?” 


86 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“Next Saturday. School began earlier than usual 
this year. It goes that way sometimes, you know, 
and it isn’t likely to get cold, not until next month 
anyhow.” 

“O, we’ll have picnic days in October,” said Catha- 
lina. 

“I’m not so sure about the lake, though,” sug¬ 
gested Betty. 

“Let’s hurry up a picnic, then,—a class picnic?” 
queried Hilary. 

“Yes, that would be best, I think,” said Juliet. 
“If you go outside the class it gets mixed up. We 
might have a literary society picnic, though,—what 
do you think ?” 

“O, let’s have a senior academy picnic,” said 
Pauline. “We are used to working up class picnics 
together. Let’s ask right away for the Greycliff 
for next Saturday, and get Patty and Dr. Norris to 
chaperone us.” 

“How painful that would be for them,” laughed 
Betty. “Miss Randolph might think they needed 
chaperoning themselves, though.” 

“Our crowd would be chaperones enough for 
them. He scarcely looks at Patty before the girls, 
and she has the most polite manner you ever saw.” 

“She is always polite to everybody.” 

“Well, distant or formal, then.” 

“It’s a fine idea, Pauline,” said Lilian, “will you 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


87 


see Miss Randolph about the boat and the chap¬ 
erones? We’ll call a class meeting for Monday and 
appoint a committee for the eats, pardon me, the 
food, banquet, viands and victuals!” 

After a Sabbath of much needed rest from lessons 
and parties, the week fairly flew. It seemed no 
time till Saturday and the picnic were at hand. 
There were clouds, but it was warm and the sun 
peeped through occasionally as the girls brought 
various articles for the lunch and Mickey packed in 
the usual equipment for picnics. “Feels like rain to 
me,” said he, “everybody got a raincoat?” Every¬ 
body had, and the Greycliff started with its happy, 
singing load of senior girls. 

Helen, whom the girls sometimes called “Dixie”, 
had arranged a Greycliff song to that famous South¬ 
ern tune and the girls started that as a beginning: 

“O, Greycliff seniors strong are we, 

A giddy, happy company, 

Come away. 

Come away, 

Come away, Greycliff Girls! 

[Where the surf beats high we swim and dive. 

We keep the other schools alive, 

Come away, 

Come away, 

Come away, Greycliff Girls! 


88 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


O, we love to be at Greycliff, 

Hooray! 

Hooray! 

At Greycliff School 
The seniors rule 

And work and root for Greycliff! 

Away! 

Away! 

Away to school at Greycliff!” 

Next came a song that they used at the competive 
games. “Come on, girls,” cried Dorothy Apple- 
ton, waving an imaginary baton, “let’s have ‘Grey¬ 
cliff has captured the score’!” In this the words 
named the tune. 

“O, dear, what can the matter be? 

Dear, dear, what can the matter? 

O, dear, what can the matter be? 

Greycliff has captured the score! 

It’s no use to try, for you know you 
can’t beat us, 

No matter how hard you may work 
to defeat us. 

Come on when you will, we invite 
you to meet us, 

And Greycliff will capture the score!” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


89 


Ini the midst of so much fun and singing the 
girls had scarcely noticed how dark it was getting, 
nor had they seen the worried looks of Dr. Norris, 
Mickey and his new assistant, a wiry young fellow 
known as Jack. Patricia West was very quiet, not 
joining in the songs. “I don’t like the looks of 
that sky, Mr. Norris,” said Jack. “It looks squally 
to me.” 

The wind began to come up and the lake grew 
rough at once. Spray began to sprinkle the girls 
who sat in the prow. 

“We’re not far from the Island, girls,” called Dr. 
Norris, smiling to encourage the girls, and talking 
through the little megaphone till he had the attention 
of all. “And we may make it before the storm, but 
if it gets pretty rough, keep your heads, and I am 
going to hand around the life preservers now. Then 
we shall feel safe.” 

Mickey and Jack were beginning to have their 
hands full in steering and watching the engine. Some 
of the girls looked a little frightened, but accepted 
their life preservers and put them on, throwing off 
their sweaters first, then tying them on outside and 
drawing their raincoats around them to protect them 
from the rain which by his time was pouring and 
beating down. Up and down tossed the boat. The 
waves were growing bigger and bigger. A few 
girls in front were thoroughly drenched by two or 


90 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


three curving waves which came over them when 
Mickey tacked to get on the leeward side of the 
Island, where they might land more easily, he hoped. 
There the approach was more shallow, the sand 
extended farther out, though the dock was not so 
large as the one at which they more often landed. 

The rain was coming in such sheets that the girls 
could scarcely see each other. Occasionally some 
wave pounded upon the Greycliff with such force 
that it threatened to engulf her at once. A few 
girls would shriek a little, but Dr. Norris continued 
to talk encouragingly, telling them to keep their 
seats, to take off their shoes, ready to swim and to 
try to reach the rope if Jack were successful in 
getting it to the dock. Jack was standing with the 
rope in his hands ready to jump to the dock as soon 
as they reached it. They had already felt a slight 
diminution in the force of the wind as they drew 
near the hoped for side of the Island, yet the waves 
were a dangerous foe. 

Then it happened, all in a moment it seemed. 
The engine, which had worked so hard for them 
against the wind and waves that beat upon the 
Greycliff till it quivered, broke. At the same time 
the steering wheel turned, useless, with connections 
torn apart Mickey jumped up in despair. Jack 
lost the rope as the little Greycliff was whirled 
around, but as it fell and Jack was tossed out of 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


91 


the boat, Juliet, who had risen, with her arm around 
one of the supports, caught it and with her practiced 
hand, threw it through wind and rain to the dock 
where providentially it caught around a tall post, the 
one at which Juliet, half blinded by the spray, had 
aimed it. Not for nothing had Juliet been Polly’s 
shadow and learned to throw a lariat. But little 
did the rope avail to hold the Greycliff. The girls 
found themselves in the water, held up by the life 
preservers, it is true, but tossed and beaten upon by 
the heavy waves, scarcely able to get a breath, and 
only dimly sensing in which direction lay the shore. 

As Dr. Norris felt the boat whirl, he had called 
to the girls to jump, and a few heard him. Now, 
as he held firmly to Patty, whom he had caught up 
as he jumped, he groaned as he thought some of 
the girls might have been caught in the boat as she 
went over. The Greycliff, however, at first went 
over on her side, straining at the rope, to which 
immediately a number of the girls were clinging. 
Dr. Norris in a few moments felt the sand under 
his feet, struggled with Patty to the land, and while 
she was still choking and clearing her throat and 
lungs of the lake water, he told her to get up out 
of the reach of the waves and count the girls as he 
and Mickey brought them in. “And pray, Patty, 
that we may find every one!” 


92 


THE GIRLS OP GREYCLIFF 


Jack was nowhere to be seen, but Mickey was 
already helping some of the girls who were trying 
to reach the rope, as Dr. Norris threw himself into 
the water where he saw some bobbing heads drifting 
out instead of in. 






THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


93 


CHAPTER VII. 

THE WRECK OF THE GREYCLIFF-CONTINUED. 

At Greycliff Hall, meantime, the greatest alarm 
and concern was felt at the suddenness and fury of 
the storm. “I tell you, they can not have reached 
the Island,” declared Dr. Carver. A group of the 
teachers had gathered in Miss Randolph’s parlor 
where Miss Randolph herself was standing at her 
window quietly watching the storm. She had thrown 
on her raincoat, seized an umbrella and announced 
that she was going down to have a look at the lake. 
But when, against the protests of some of the 
teachers, she tried to open the front door and was 
thrown back nearly over, she gave up the attempt. 

“That was the finest senior academy class we’ve 
had in years,” sadly asserted one of the music 
teachers who had been at Greycliff for a long time. 

“ ‘Was’! exclaimed Alma, who with one of the 
other girls had come in on some errand. “She is 
always an old ‘calamity-howler’!” 

“Sh-sh! She’ll hear you.” 


94 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


Miss Randolph, with the air of one who could not 
bear any more, beckoned to Alma and opening the 
door of her inner room, disappeared, Alma follow¬ 
ing and closing the door. “Send for Dr. Matthews, 
please, Alma. He was in the laboratory this morn¬ 
ing before the storm. Have some one hunt him up.” 
Dr. Matthews was the older professor in sciences 
and Miss Randolph often called him into counsel. 
He was already striding down the corridor, feel¬ 
ing that whether anything could be done or not it 
would be well to have some plan, and met Alma not 
far from Miss Randolph’s parlor door. 

“Please go into the office, Dr. Matthews,” said 
Alma. “Miss Randolph sent me for you, and I 
don’t think she wants to consult you with all those 
other teachers in there. Some of them have already 
given up hope and are talking about the dear de¬ 
parted !” 

Dr. Matthews was a strong, comfortable looking 
man, well-poised, calm in an emergency and sensible 
in judgment. He smiled at Alma’s remark and dis¬ 
appeared into the office, which opened upon the same 
corridor. Alma went back to call Miss Randolph, 
who in turn summoned one or two of the other 
teachers and the few went into executive session in 
the office. 

“No,” said Dr. Matthews in reply to a question 
from Miss Randolph, “it is useless to attempt any- 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


95 


thing now. I tried to telephone to Greycliff a little 
while ago and got no reply. I think the wires are 
down. But this can not last long, I think, and it 
is only a short distance to Greycliff. And no boat 
would dare start out now. A storm like this is 
unusual and has doubtless done much damage to 
the shipping all along the lake. But Providence 
cares for those children of ours as much as we do. 
We must be hopeful and courageous. As soon as 
the storm lessens a little I will go myself to Greycliff, 
on one of the horses, for no one knows how the 
roads will be. With your permission, Miss Ran¬ 
dolph I shall engage one of the big boats to go 
after the girls. Remember that they had two men 
besides Norris to look after them.” But remember¬ 
ing that Miss West was there, too, with Dr. Norris, 
did not console anybody very much. 

In the parlors were sober girls, talking excitedly, 
or watching the storm at the front windows. Isabel, 
who “hated waterworks”, was walking around all 
unconscious of the tears running down her cheeks. 
Avalon sat in one of the big chairs, a disconsolate 
heap. Virginia was trying to keep up her spirits. 
“Wait till you know it’s happened, kiddie,” she was 
saying. “Every one of ’em can swim!” 

“O, yes, but who could swim in a storm like 
that?” 

“Maybe they got there.” 


96 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


‘‘Yes, and maybe they didn’t.” 

Isabel came wandering back from the windows 
and drew up a chair near Virginia. “You’ve got 
a good name, Virginia Hope,” said she. 

“Yes, except for myself when I get discouraged,— 
but look, girls, it’s getting lighter.” 

“And it isn’t raining so much!” 

“I don’t believe that the wind is so dreadful, 
either.” 

“I haven’t seen any lightning for some time.” 

“Listen!” The girls heard the hoof-beats of Dr. 
Matthews’ horse, as it clattered over the new cement 
driveway. “He’s going for help!” exclaimed Isa¬ 
bel. “But they’re either safe on shore or not,— 
nobody could get to them in time.” 

“But they always have life preservers,” said Vir¬ 
ginia. 

“Yes,—if they can stand the waves.” 

“Who do you suppose has gone to Greycliff?” 

“Don’t you imagine the riding master ?’* 

“No; he lives at Greycliff.” 

In about an hour, after the storm was over a 
reporter appeared upon the scene. He was shown 
into the reception room, and fearing that the author¬ 
ities would not see him, he sought whatever informa¬ 
tion he could get from the girls. This was a good 
deal, for under excitement some of the girls forgot 
their proper reserve and told the who, when and 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


97 


where, in all the details which the reporter wanted 
for a good story. Thus it came about that on the 
streets of New York and in the other places where 
dwelt the parents of the senior academy girls the 
newsboys cried, “Terrible disaster at girls’ school. 
Read about the storm. More than twenty girls 
drowned when the Greycliff goes down!’’ 

“The Greycliff!” thought Philip Van Buskirk', 
as he ran out from the building where his father’s 
office was located, to buy a paper. 

Dr. Lancaster was on his way from calling on a 
sick parishioner, his thoughts already somber from 
the near presence of death, when he heard the news 
called. 

In still another city, a white-faced mother read 
her daughter’s name in the list of those thought to 
be lost. Mrs. North had picked up the evening 
papers from her front steps where it had been thrown 
as usual. 

Miss Randolph’s first inkling that the news had 
been sent over the country was when the first tele¬ 
gram arrived, one from Philip Van Buskirk, who 
hoped to get better news before his father and mother 
should hear the first report. Her immediate reply, 
one which had to be sent out to more than one ad¬ 
dress, was: “Greycliff in storm. Hope all is well. 
Will telegraph.” 

Dr. Norris was a strong swimmer, but even he was* 


98 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


almost exhausted by the time he brought in two 
of the girls who had been carried some distance out 
from the shallow waters in which the Greycliff had 
been upset. Patty, shivering with cold and nervous¬ 
ness, bravely waded into the waters, watching for 
the treacherous waves and helped the men draw in 
the exhausted girls. Jack had appeared but had to 
be helped in, having broken his left arm as a wave 
tossed him against the Greycliff. Hilary, Pauline 
and Juliet had been among those who had at once 
reached the rope, and after a little rest had been able 
to help the rest. They busied themselves over Cath- 
alina and Lilian first, for both those girls were almost 
unconscious by the time they were dragged in by 
Mickey. Helen and Eloise were among those 
farthest away on the rope, having clutched it just 
before a pounding wave upon the Greycliff tore the 
boat away and left the rope loose upon the water 
except where the weight of the girls drew it toward 
the sands. 

“Have we got ’em all, Miss West?” asked Mickey 
as he swept the waters with searching eyes and hold¬ 
ing to the rope made ready to go in again. 

Miss West had been eagerly keeping count and 
answered promptly, “Every one at last! What shall 
we do next, Robert?” 

“Get a fire, if we can, or find some shelter first 
for these girls.” He looked around at the various 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 99 

prone figures and added, “Are all of them com¬ 
ing to?” 

“I don’t know about Dorothy Appleton, Dr. Nor¬ 
ris,” replied Hilary. “I think she must have been 
struck by the boat in some way. There is an awful 
bruise on her forehead. And Eloise is breathing 
all right now, but she doesn’t seem to come to. 
We’re trying to keep the rain from them.” 

The wind was growing colder since the storm 
began, and though the rain was not so heavy, the 
party was in much danger from continued chilling. 

“Can we get them around to the cave?” asked 
Patty. 

“We will,” replied Dr. Norris and Mickey with 
one accord. Most of the girls could walk and the 
men carried the rest, even Jack helping with his 
one good arm. It was of some relief to get out of 
the chill wind which penetrated their drenched gar¬ 
ments and sapped what little strength the girls had 
left. Jack gave up to his suffering when all were 
once in the cave and Dr. Norris set about making 
him a little more comfortable, if such a thing were 
possible. Mickey was exploring and found some 
matches left by one of the picnic parties of the sum¬ 
mer, for the Greycliffers were not the only visitants 
of the Island. 

“As soon as the rain stops we’U have a fire, we 
will,” said Mickey, picking up a few dry sticks in 


100 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


the cave. “I stuck a bundle of wood to dry here 
last year,” said he, “and I’ll see if it’s still here.” 

Fortune favored them, for not only was the dry 
wood there, but an old kettle, which they had left 
because it leaked, turned up, with a can partly full 
of coffee. The rain stopped as suddenly as it had 
begun. In a place close to shelving rocks which 
sheltered them from the wind and where some trees 
had made a half circle on another side, Mickey 
and Dr. Norris made a roaring fire and boiled the 
coffee. Never mind the lake water,” said Mickey. 
“We can’t get around to the spring and we’ll boil 
the germs out of anything with this fire!” 

The girls who were able to keep active, warmed 
themselves by their very activity and turning first 
one side, then another, to the hot fire. The injured 
girls were braced up against the rocks as close to the 
fire as seemed best, while the other girls and Miss 
West took turns in chafing their hands and trying 
to get them to swallow a little hot coffee. But it 
was discouraging, for there was no dry clothing to 
put on them, sweaters and raincoats having gone to 
the bottom with the Greycliff. Helen and Hilary 
were almost in tears as they worked over Eloise, 
while Lilian and Cathalina could not seem to rouse 
from their exhaustion, though they drank a little 
coffee and declared that they were all right, in an¬ 
swer to their friends’ eager inquiries. But at best it 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


101 


was a hard situation for the whole party, and despair 
seemed near at times, as the outlook for the two girls 
who seemed to have been injured was not favorable. 
The lake was still lashed into a fury and it seemed 
that aid could scarcely arrive before night. Betty 
kept insisting that Miss Randolph would get a boat 
to them some way, but even the courage of Mickey 
and Dr. Norris went under a cloud, and they dog¬ 
gedly kept on bringing wood to the fire. Several 
hours went by. The wind died down, but the big 
waves still lashed the rocks and came rolling high 
upon the sands. 

“O, Eloise opened her eyes! ,, exclaimed Helen, 
who sat with Eloise’s head on her lap, rubbing it 
gently and drying her long hair. The girls by 
this time had dried some of their own garments and 
slipped them on Eloise and Dorothy as they could, 
removing the well-soaked clothing and putting it on 
sticks, or holding it out to the fire to dry. 

“Dorothy shivered a little while ago, but I don’t 
know whether that is good or bad,” said Myrtle 
Wiseman, who had been very active in the work over 
the two girls, and had also helped Cathalina and 
Lilian. Betty had whispered “remorse”, to Hilary, 
as Myrtle brought some coffee to Lilian. But Hilary 
answered, “Em glad she feels like it,” and to Myrtle 
said, “That is very kind, Myrtle!” 


102 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“Would you want to make up with her?” asked 
Betty. 

“Surely. I don’t want to have any enemies. 
She can never make any trouble between Lilian and 
me again.” 

“I ’spect you’re right, Hilary. And we’ve been 
pretty near losing our lives today. Do you think 
that we’ll get back?” 

“O, yes, Betty, though I’m pretty worried about 
Eloise and Dorothy.” 

Just then there came three loud blasts from a 
steamer. 

“O, they’ve come for us! They’ve come!” ex¬ 
claimed one after another, rushing to a point where 
they could see a large steamer tossing at some little 
distance. 

“But they can’t get near enough to get us!” 

“Don’t worry, they’ll manage it,” replied the 
relieved Patricia, while Dr. Norris and Mickey ran 
down to the beach to wave. Over the waves came 
one of the steamer’s life boats, and still another 
followed! They did not know how the party would 
be found, if found at all, and blankets, a doctor, and 
stimulants were brought to shore. The doctor at 
once examined Dorothy and Eloise. Of Eloise he 
said, “a slight concussion, not serious”; of Dorothy, 
that he could “tell better later”. The whole party 
was bundled into the life boats and taken on ship- 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


103 


board, not without some difficulty, but how different 
from what had been feared! As it was the big 
steamer could scarcely land at the dock where the 
Greycliff ’bus and an ambulance were waiting with 
some other closed cars. Dr. Matthews was there, 
with the same swift-footed horse, and after he had 
instructed one of the professors who lived at Grey¬ 
cliff to telegraph the parents, and had left the list, 
he galloped back to Greycliff Hall with the good 
news, arriving before any of the automobiles and 
earning the name by which he was afterward known 
among the girls,—“Paul Revere!” Good, practical, 
stout, unromantic Dr. Matthews! 


104 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


CHAPTER VIIL 

BACK TO NORMAL. 

Arrived at Greycliff Hall, the senior academy 
girls were tucked into bed like babies—every 
one of them. Hot baths, hot drinks, warm blankets 
and disagreeable doses prescribed by the doctor, 
aroused some protest from a few who thought that 
they did not need them, but protests were of no 
avail. It had turned decidedly cool after the storm, 
and there was a frost that night. Dorothy, Eloise, 
Lilian and Cathalina were taken to the “pest-house”, 
as the girls called the little hospital quarters, for 
especial care by the nurse. Eloise was quite herself 
now, but with a splitting headache. The physician 
was still watching her and Dorothy Appleton, who 
was now conscious but seemed quite ill. “I find 
no serious injury,” said the doctor to Miss Ran¬ 
dolph, “and I think that the girls will get over the 
shock in a few days, but we shall watch them closely 
and keep the nurse with them.” 

Isabel and Avalon and other friends of the senior 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


105 


academy girls were fairly used up with the strain 
and the relief which came with the safe return of 
the whole company. The office was busy with receiv¬ 
ing and sending telegrams. A correct and reassur¬ 
ing account was sent to the papers and letters were 
written the next day to anxious parents. For the 
first time in her career, Miss Randolph took to her 
bed and spent the entire Sabbath there, though giv¬ 
ing directions, writing and reading messages. 

“She looked ten years older after those dreadful 
hours of anxiety,” said one of the teachers to Dr. 
Matthews. 

“Yes ?” replied he. “Fortunately there is too much 
school work ahead for us to stay under this depres¬ 
sion. The girls are safe and in a day or two we 
shall all be back to normal, Miss Randolph in¬ 
cluded.” Dr. Matthews was much amused over his 
new nickname, which was reported to him shortly 
after it had been bestowed. He had been accustomed 
to that of “Dad Matthews”, the little school paper 
occasionally using it in some informal account. “I 
was always regarded, it seems, in a paternal light,” 
said he, “and now I am ‘Revere’d!” 

A few colds, one sore throat, and much lassitude 
for a few days, were about the only results of the 
exposure. The senior academy classes were entirely 
suspended on Monday and Tuesday, but by the end 
of the week every thing was in running order once 


106 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


more, Lilian and Cathalina in their classes as usual, 
Eloise back in the suite, and Dorothy fast getting 
well. Other classes were having beach parties and 
picnics, but alas, there was no “Greycliff” to take 
them out from shore any distance. The fall weather 
was still beautiful, with plenty of sunshine, the air 
crisp and cool. 

One Saturday early in October, the Psyche Club 
was starting on a beach party and deciding where 
to go when Isabel said, “Do you remember that day 
when I was pretending to look all around for the 
‘gentlemen’ ?” 

“Yes,” said Eloise. 

“Well, when I was peeking around the part of 
the cliff that juts out so far I saw a place farther 
down where there seemed to be a nice, flat shelf 
just above the boulders. It would not be a very com¬ 
fortable walk, but I don’t think that it would take 
very long.” 

“It was quite a little climb over the rocks to the 
place where we were, you know,” said Eloise. 

“Yes,” said Lilian, “and I don’t believe the girls 
ever go there. The sandy beach is so much nicer. 
But we would be sure of being by ourselves.” 

“Do you think that we could find wood for a fire 
there?” asked Cathalina. 

“O, yes; probably there would be more than 


THE GIRLS OF GREYOLIFF 


107 


we usually find, if the girls were not in the way of 
going there.” 

“Let’s do it, then,” said Betty. “Nobody has 
much to carry. I can put my milk bottle in my 
sweater pocket.” 

“So can I,” said several others. 

“Divide the sandwiches and things and let every¬ 
body carry her own lunch this time.” 

Soon the girls were climbing over and past the 
rocks, gravel and bushes under the cliffs, and at 
last came to the broad shelf which Isabel had seen. 
It was not very high, but above the wash of the 
waves in a storm. Around on the side of the cliff 
above the shelf there was an opening to some sort 
of a cave, but the entrance looked dark and gloomy 
and none too clean. 

“Some day when we have on our oldest duds 
and bring our flashlights,” said Avalon, “it will be 
fun to explore that cave. There aren’t any wild 
animals around here, are there?” 

“None that I ever heard of,” said Hilary, “but 
there might be a few snakes.” 

“Excuse me, then,” Cathalina remarked. “But 
they say that the Cliffs are full of caves, something 
like that one at the island.” 

The girls found plenty of drift wood, but instead 
of building their fire on the wide shelf of rock, as 
they had intended, they found it easier to collect 


108 THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 

the material and build the fire on the beach below, 
where the boulders were few. 

“It looks as if the rocks had been cleared away 
on purpose,” said Helen as she speared a piece of 
bacon and held it over the fire. 

“Why, look at this, girls,” directed Isabel, who 
was reaching behind a big rock for a piece of drift 
wood. “It’s an iron ring fastened here and a piece 
of old rope in it!” 

The girls all stepped over to look at the ring. 
“That’s funny,” said Pauline. “It looks as if there 
were a sort of path up to the shelf too.” 

“Nonsense! We made that sliding down,” said 
Isabel. 

“Have a piece of bacon, Juliet?” offered Pauline. 

“What a place for mermaids this is, a rocky cave, 
a shelf or boulder to sit and comb their locks.” 

“Not a very good beach to run around on, 
though.” 

“Mermaids don’t run around, Avalon; they swim 
or wiggle around on their fishy fins like seals, I 
suppose.” 

“ 'Fishy fins’,—that’s good, Pauline,” said Lilian. 
“May I use that for my next ‘pome’ ?” 

“Yes, fair poetess, I go around dropping pearls of 
wisdom for my friends! Everything Lil hears is 
for the paper now, girls.” 

“Copy, Pauline, is what we call it.” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 109 

“Last year Lil was going to be a singer, I be¬ 
lieve” 

“I still am, but it doesn’t hurt to know a few other 
things.” 

“One more sandwich around, girls,” said Eloise, 
“and then I’m going to call the Psyche Club to order. 
Wash your milk bottles in the lake and wipe them 
off with the sandwich papers till they can be better 
washed in the Greycliff kitchens!” 

The last crumb of lunch was finished when Eloise, 
president of the Psyche Club, rapped with a pebble 
upon a larger stone to call the meeting to order. 
“You remember that these meetings were not to be 
formal, but some order has to be followed if we get 
things done, so I will call for reports from the com¬ 
mittees! Who was to ask Miss West about the 
name and motto?” 

“I said I would,” said Betty. “Cathalina asked 
me to talk with Patty. She thought that the name 
Psyche Club was all right, but did not care for the 
‘nothing less than Olympus’ idea, and asked why 
we didn’t get something that would better express 
the central,—or the real meaning of our name, like 
‘faith, love, immortality’, and if we wanted it in 
Latin, she suggested ‘Fides, Amor, Immortalitas’.” 

“O, that is good!” exclaimed Pauline. “I wonder 
why we did not think of that ourselves. I move, 
madam president, that we accept Miss Patty’s sug- 



110 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


gestion and that the motto of the Psyche Club be 
“Fides, Amor, Immortalitas’.” 

“How about the name itself ?” asked Eloise. 

“I’ll add that to the motion, that the name be 
‘Psyche Club’.” 

“It has been moved and seconded that our name 
shall be ‘Psyche Club’ and that our motto shall be 
‘Fides, Amor, Immortalitas’. Is there a second to 
the motion?” 

“I second the motion,” called Isabel. 

“Any remarks?” 

No remarks were forthcoming. The motion was 
presented and carried unanimously. Cathalina’s 
report on pins created great interest. “I’ll show you 
the booklet I got with designs when we get back, 
but none of them just suited me, so I made one up. 
Please don’t say you like it if your idea is different. 
Some were too big and others too small. I tried 
to work out a design that would be delicate and yet 
have room for our names and ‘Greycliff’, as you 
said.” 

“I think it’s beautiful ,” said Juliet, and Her opin¬ 
ion was echoed around the circle. 

“Then there is nothing more to be done, is there?” 
inquired the president. “Some day when we feel 
like it we can get up a little constitution if anybody 
wants one, or if the society becomes a school 
society.” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


111 


“Time will tell,” said Pauline. “Mercy sakes, 
what’s coming, girls?” 

Scarcely had they all turned to look than a boat 
shot into the cove headed for the remains of the 
picnic fire, it seemed. Its one occupant was dressed 
in rubber coat and helmet as if for a storm, took in 
the startled company of girls, gave them a keen 
look from a pair of flashing eyes, smiled a little and 
with a few strokes of the oars had turned and left 
the cove as suddenly as he had entered it, before the 
girls could do more than stare. 

“Now why did he do that?” asked Isabel rather 
belligerently. 

“Perhaps he saw that we were scared,” suggested 
Cathalina. 

“We weren’t scared, were we?” 

“Startled and surprised, anyhow.” 

“But he went as if he didn’t want to come here 
when we were around. I believe he had some private 
business here,” said Hilary. “It’s funny. And then 
there’s that ring.” 

“Is there any way to get up to the top of the 
cliffs here? Maybe people sometimes come here 
for a short cut.” 

“Maybe so, Pauline; anyhow, let’s leave before 
any more mysterious strangers appear. Some way 
I didn’t like his looks, if he did smile at us!” 

“Neither did I, Hilary,” said Betty. “It made me 


112 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


feel funny, some way and I thought of that time I 
met the brother of Louise the night of our ghost 
party last year. ,, 

“He came in a motor boat, didn’t he?” 

“Yes.” 

“This man had a rowboat. I wonder where he 
came from. Greycliff, very likely, the village, I 
mean.” 

“Isn’t the road to Greycliff up there along the 
cliffs ?” 

“No; it turns away from the lake shore and 
there are big thick woods that you could get lost 
in, they say.” 

“By the way, girls,” said Juliet, “we haven’t 
heard anything of the “Woman in Black” this year, 
have we?” 

“Wow!” said Betty, half in fun, but with a 
“creepy” feeling, as she said it. “Come on, girls, it 
gets dark earlier now, and I don’t want to talk 
about the ‘Woman in Black’ or any kind of ghost- 
essess till we get back home.” 

“What’s that about the Woman in Black?” in- 
quired Pauline. 

“Ask Isabel; she saw her, so she says.” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLXFF 


11a 


CHAPTER IX. 

THE CAVE MAN. 

A few days after the beach party, Isabel and 
Betty fell in together as they came out from the 
library building after class. 

“I’m through for the day!” exclaimed Isabel joy¬ 
ously. This is my easy day, and by good luck one 
of my classes doesn’t recite tomorrow. Dr. Carver 
is sick, hasn’t heard a class today and I heard Miss 
Randolph tell Miss West to prepare to take her 
classes tomorrow.” 

“ ‘By good luck!” laughed Betty. “Poor Dr. 
Carver!” 

“I didn’t make her sick, but since she is,—well, 
it’s an ill wind that blows nobody good!” 

“But if Patty takes her classes tomorrow, how do 
you get out of it?” 

“It happens, my dear Elizabeth, that my class to 
Dr. Carver comes at the same hour as one of Patty’s, 
other classes.” Isabel turned gayly around with a 
skipping step. “So you see, I not only get out o£ 


114 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


work tomorrow, but having in my ignorance of 
the joy in store gotten my lesson for today’s work, 
I’m ahead for whenever we do recite.” 

“I’m in luck, too, of course,” said Betty, “so far as 
today’s work is concerned, but will have to recite 
tomorrow.” 

“Let’s get our flashlights and skip out to the cave 
we found the other day. How about the other 
girls?” 

“Eloise and Lilian have practice hours this after¬ 
noon and Cathalina said she would be in the studio 
painting all afternoon. Perhaps the other girls will 
be free to go. Where’s Avalon?” 

“She has classes.” 

“I’m not so sure that I want to go myself, Isabel.” 

“Why? It isn’t far, you’re not really afraid of 
anything, are you?” 

“I don’t see what there could possibly be to be 
afraid of, but I feel funny about that cave.” 

“What could there be dangerous about it? There 
aren’t any wild animal or really poisonous snakes in 
this country, and the cave isn’t big enough for any 
wild or crazy person to live there,—” 

“But there is that ring, and the boat we saw.” 

“The ring has probably been there for ages, and 
maybe the man just happened in upon us and didn’t 
like our looks.” 

Betty laughed. “I’ll go, Isabel. I believe I have 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


115 


been a little nervous about lake doings since the 
‘wreck of the Hesperus’. Dear old Greycliff in the 
bottom of the lake!” 

None of the girls were in the suites when Betty 
and Isabel reached their rooms. They put on their 
bathing suits, dressed warmly over them, and each 
put a bathing cap, a towel, and a flashlight in the 
pockets of their long coats. 

“It’s warmer today,” said Isabel, “and if the 
water isn’t too cold a little dip will be fine on the 
way back.” 

“There are Myrtle Wiseman and Dorothy Apple- 
ton.” 

“Yes, Myrtle has been devoting herself to Dorothy 
ever since the wreck.” 

“Does Dorothy like it?” 

“So far as I know. Myrtle can be lovely, you 
know.” 

“Did you know that Myrtle went over to see Lilian 
in the pest-house and said she was sorry for what 
she did last year?” 

“Did she? That was nice of her.” 

“l r es, if you could only trust her, or believe what 
she says.” 

“That is the puzzle of it, and I hate to be think¬ 
ing of such things about anybody. Perhaps she 
really is sorry, but you can’t help but think that she 


116 THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 

wants to stand in with our crowd because it’s more 
comfortable!” 

“I don’t pretend to understand her, Isabel, but 
I’m going to ‘give her the benefit of the doubt’, 
as Mother says, and be friendly.” 

“But you wouldn’t take her into the Psyche Club, 
would you?” 

“No, for she wouldn’t fit in with our intimate 
friends at all; but I don’t see but it would be all 
right to take her into the literary society. I heard 
that she was ’most killed that she didn’t get an 
invitation.” 

“That was too bad, but I don’t see that we ought 
to have done it, either.” 

“She isn’t a good student and cheats sometimes 
to get through, you know, but Miss West happened 
to tell me the other day how much better she is doing 
this year. Maybe if we are nice to her it will help 
her!” 

“I haven’t heard of her cheating this year.” 

“But there haven’t been any real examinations 
yet.” 

“O, well, let’s not worry about Myrtle. I’m sure 
all the girls would like to see her do well and if she 
earns a place in the society, I’m willing to give her 
my vote, for one.” 

“So’m I.” 

The two girls by this time had reached the rocks 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


117 


and tripped lightly from one to another, poising 
sometimes with outstretched arms like sea-birds 
about to take wing, or dropping into a hollow and 
looking for the easiest path. The rocky, curving 
shore took them around beyond the waters within 
the break-water, which fact accounted for their not 
having seen the place before when they were out in 
the boats for a row. The Greycliff naturally would 
not approach very near these rocks on any of its 
trips, now,, alas, no more. 

“I believe I could climb up to the top of the 
cliffs in some of these places, Betty/’ said Isabel, 
looking up at a more sloping ascent where a little 
soil had lodged and trees and bushes grew. 

“What for?” asked Betty. 

“We might find some different bird up there in 
the spring.” 

“We might; I hadn’t thought of that. It must be 
very wild up in those woods, but we wouldn’t be 
allowed to go there alone.” 

“I’m not so sure that we ought to come so far 
along the shore, either, but nobody ever said any¬ 
thing about it. After we turn the curve back there 
we can’t see the other beach where the boathouse is 
or anything.” 

“Let’s go back, then,” said Betty. 

“And not look at the cave after all this trouble? 
We’re almost there, too.” 


118 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“O, all right. We can easily go away if we see 
anything we don’t like. Let’s take a peep into those 
bushes behind the cliff on this side before we go 
around to the entrance. I thought I saw a nest there 
the other day, but we were having so much fun that 
I didn’t look closely.” 

Thus it chanced that the girls slipped up quietly 
to a tangle of small trees, roots and bushes that 
filled a deep angle where the cliff jutted out and 
the shelf began that led to the entrance of the cave. 
It was just a song sparrow’s nest, and as they were 
looking to see if there were any other of the sea¬ 
son’s empty nests they heard a dull sound as if some¬ 
thing fell not far away. Both girls quickly looked 
at each other. 

“In the cave,” whispered Betty. “Maybe a rock.” 

“Let’s keep still a minute.” 

“Better sit down,” whispered Betty again. “If 
there is any one there we can’t be seen here.” The 
girls crouched down behind the bushes, but peered 
through. They could hear other slight noises and 
a scraping sound. 

“There isn’t any boat down there,” said Isabel. 
“I’m going to creep around where I can take a look 
at the shelf in front of the cave.” 

“O, don’t,” begged Betty. But Isabel did, duck¬ 
ing back immediately. 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 119 

“There’s a box in front of the cave. Somebody’s 
there of course.” 

“What on earth would anybody keep in a cave?” 

“Hidden treasure!” 

“They put it in the bank nowadays.” 

The girls listened, but heard nothing more for 
some time. 

<<rr his is getting tiresome,” said Isabel, I wish 
they’d hurry up and go away.” 

“Do you suppose we’ll have to stay here till dark? 
I’m getting hungry already.” 

“I brought some fudge,” said Isabel, fumbling 
in one pocket. “We brought our flashlights, any¬ 
way, if we have to go home after dark.” 

“We’ll not explore the cave this time, will we?” 

“I wouldn’t mind, if the person goes away.” 

“Mercy, Isabel!” 

“Hark!” 

There was a popping sound as of a distant de¬ 
tonation, an angry exclamation, a scrambling sound 
at the mouth of the cave and something was quickly 
tossed out far over the rocks into the lake water. 
An active figure leaped down from the shelf and ran 
to the water’s edge. It was a slight, soldierly figure 
of a man, and as he turned toward the shelf again 
Betty gave a start. Both girls were staring with all 
their eyes. Isabel started to whisper something, 
but Betty put her hand upon Isabel’s lips, and with- 


120 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


out vocal utterance formed with her lips the words 
“don’t move!” 

The man seemed to be moving the box which 
Isabel had seen at the front of the cave, and in a 
few minutes ran down to the water again and waved 
an arm as if signaling. Immediately the girls heard 
the sound of a motor. Still as mice they waited. It 
was not long before a small motor boat came into 
sight. Two men joined the one on shore and to¬ 
gether they lifted the box, a small one, into the 
boat, observing great care. The girls could not hear 
the conversation distinctly, but Betty nodded once 
as she caught a word or two. In a few minutes the 
boat moved off and the girls straightened up among 
the bushes, thankful to have relief from their cramped 
position. 

“We’ll not dare go where they can see us for a 
little,” said the cautious Betty, “for they may have 
glasses, you know. And I’m not going near that 
cave! I certainly feel funny snooping around and 
watching somebody!” 

“We couldn’t help it, and besides do you suppose 
they own that cave? I think their actions are very 
suspicious, myself. Could they be smugglers?” 

“I don’t know what to think,” said Betty, “but I 
know I’m going home. Peek out, Isabel, you’re 
nearer the cliff, and see if you can see the boat.” 



THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 121 

“All safe, Elizabeth, 1 ” Isabel reported. “I'd like 
to have a look at that cave now." 

“O, please, Isabel. I’m sure we ought to go away 
and leave things alone. Wait till the whole crowd 
can come.” 

“I think that you're a great little fraidy-cat, that’s 
what I think, but maybe you’re right. Come on.” 

“Do you want to look very awfully, Isabel?” 

“Yes, I do.” 

“Do it. I guess it won’t kill us. There canT 
be any one there now.” 

Somewhat stealthily the girls crept around on the 
shelf and peered into the cave. The same big rocks 
or stones which they had noticed at the entrance 
before were there, piled in an apparently natural 
way, and the interior was strewn with rubbish. 
Isabel leaned over the rocks and turned her large 
flashlight slowly around and up and down. 

“It's awfully shallow, but there might be an open¬ 
ing behind those big slabs piled in the corner. The 
little opening in the middle might be crawled 
through. I’ll try it when we all come up to investi¬ 
gate.” 

“Yes, and get stuck, perhaps, in the middle of it!” 

“No; I’ll bring a long stick and feel ahead, be¬ 
sides I’ll have my flashlight and won't crawl in 
anywhere that I can’t back out.” 

“You aren’t afraid of anything, are you, Isabel!” 


122 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


Betty spoke somewhat admiringly, though she was 
often moved to protest against some of Isabel's enter¬ 
prises. Betty herself was not inclined to take risks, 
yet she was in no sense a weak girl and in a real 
crisis kept her self-control. 

“Not much, I guess,” replied Isabel to Betty’s 
question. “The boys have seen to that. If ever I 
was scarey they laughed me out of it. Billy and I 
had all sorts of adventures, lots worse than this. 
But I really try not to be reckless, Betty. Father 
put a stop to some of the training the boys were 
trying to give me.” Isabel laughed at the thought 
of her early days at home. 

“Dick ought to have trained me a little, I suspect, 
but you see he is so much older than I. He calls 
me ‘Mouse’ or ‘Peaches’ and never teased me any 
more than Father or Mother did.” 

“Isn’t it funny that you and Lilian have brothers 
with the same name?” 

“O, I don’t know that it’s so funny. Think how 
many Dorothys we have in school, and several 
Marys. Richard is a family name with us, but 
Lilian says her brother was named Richard just 
because they liked the name.” 

As they talked, the girls moved away from the 
cave, swung themselves off the shelf to the boulders 
and picked their way homeward, stopping at the 
sandy beach, where the bath houses were, for their 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


123 


dip. Rosy and glowing, they went happily toward 
the Hall a little later. 

“Shall we tell the girls about our ‘cave man’?” 
asked Isabel. 

“Suppose we don’t yet; O, you might as well tell 
Avalon, but we ought not to get up any excitement 
about it. None of the girls are likely to go there. 
I’ll ask Cathalina what she thinks about it.” 

“We’ll have to hurry a little to dress for dinner, 
I’m thinking. Aren’t you glad that we didn’t have 
to wait and wait, as I thought we were going to be 
forced to do. Luckily the job the cave man had to 
do was almost done when we arrived. Did you 
see his face?” 

“Yes,” said Betty hesitatingly, “but only for a 
moment. He was looking the other way when he 
went back to the cave.” 

“He was young and good-looking,” said Isabel, 
“and I think that one of the men in the boat was 
the one that we saw in the row-boat that day when 
we had the beach party.” 

“Do you?” queried Betty. 

“Yes, his eyes looked the same, but of course I’m 
not sure.” 

“Thank fortune they didn’t see us this time!” 

Betty had scarcely reached her room when the 
bell rang for dinner. “Hello, Bettikins, whither so 
late?” asked Lilian. 


124 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“I’ve been out with Isabel,” replied Betty, as she 
hurriedly threw off her coat. “Do you suppose I can 
make it in time? How does my hair look? My 
cap is good and I didn’t get it wet.” 

“Give it a wee brush and slip into your dress and 
oxfords. Here they are,” and Cathalina brought 
out Betty’s shoes for her. “Go on, girls. I’ll wait 
and hook Betty up!” 

“You are a dear. I don’t want you to miss dinner 
for me, though.” 

“I shan’t and we’ll not be late, either.” Soon 
they both flew through the corridor and down the 
stairs to the dining room, entering somewhat breath¬ 
less, but on time. 

“ Cathalina, the maid,” said Betty, “world-re¬ 
nowned, the champion quick-dresser! I’ve a tale to 
tell you after dinner, Cathie, but no references to it 
till then, please.” 

Cathalina responded by a nod as they took their 
seats. Afterward they sought a quiet corner in one 
of the halls while Betty related her latest adventure. 
“And when I saw his face, Cathalina,” she said 
impressively, “you may know that I nearly went to 
pieces. It was Louise Holley’s brother!” 

“The knight of last year’s adventure, then?” 

“The same!” 

“Well what do you suppose he was doing around 
there?” 



THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


125 


“What was he, indeed?” 

“I did not tell Isabel that I recognized him. I 
don't know why, exactly, but I wanted to think about 
it. And then I have always hated to think about that 
night anyway. He was a perfect gentleman in his 
manner, too, such a relief from my first fright at 
the sight of him. But the scheme of Louise to get 
me away from the party so she could get in, and the 
queer meeting that she and her brother had evidently 
arranged, though he came too early, has made me 
feel that I wouldn’t like to be concerned in anything 
with them!” 

“I don’t wonder. Don’t think about it, Betty. 
We’ll all go up together some time and see if there 
is anything strange about the cave, but we need 
not do any talking about it.” 

“Isabel said she wouldn’t except to Avalon.” 

“We have enough school work to do without un¬ 
raveling any mysteries, but I must confess I am 
a little curious about it.” 


126 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


CHAPTER X. 

PLENTY OF TIME. 

“What time is it, Hilary,—please ?” Isabel peeped 
through a few inches of space as she held the door 
knob. Girls were not supposed to visit during study 
hours. 

“Well,” said Hilary, laying down her pencil and 
looking over at the clock, “by the world’s regulator 
it is eight-thirty.” 

“Why, no, Hilary,” protested Isabel, who had 
decided to enter and was now looking at the clock 
herself. “It’s eight-forty-five; can’t you count 
time?” 

“That is where you are mistaken, Miss Hunt. 
We have a very remarkable clock. Subtract fifteen 
minutes and you have the time. What day is this, 
Lilian ?” 

“Wednesday.” 

“I thought so. I always set it right on Sunday 
night, Isabel. It gains five minutes a day. Com¬ 
pute the time till Wednesday night. Q. E. D.” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


127 


“Quod erat demonstrandum”, filled in Isabel. “I’m 
taking geometry myself this year. You girls ought 
to have heard Dr. Norris call me down in class the 
other day. I was not sure of the demonstration at 
all but I went through with it and wound up grin¬ 
ning with ‘which was to be proved’, and Dr. Norris 
just smiled and said, ‘and which remains to be 
proved, Miss Hunt!’ ” 

“Quod erat demonstrandum,” quoted Betty in 
appreciation and looking off into space, she traced 
angles and circles with both hands and feet. 

“Think what a teacher Betty will make,” laughed 
Lilian. 

“Do let me fix the clock for you,” said Isabel, 
“Who has the exact time?” 

“Cathalina’s wrist watch is at the jeweler’s, Betty 
left hers on Juliet’s chiffonier and Lilian lost hers 
last summer. She is promised one for Christmas. 
But anyhow, we’d forget it was fixed and be all 
mixed up!” 

“I kept mine on one day when I went in swim¬ 
ming, and when I finally took it to the jeweler, he 
said I’d have to have new works. If I’d put some 
oil in it or something, or dried it right away, he said, 
it might have been all right. It seems that works 
rust. They aren’t just gold or silver or jewels as 
I thought!” 

“Your pretty little watch!” sighed Hilary. 


128 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“Yes,” said Isabel, bravely, “Eve had a weep or 
two over it, and of course I shan’t break the news 
to Father till I go home at Christmas, if I do. I’m 
going to get an alarm clock, too, the first time I go 
in to Greycliff. Didn’t you ever think of having 
your clock regulated, Hilary?” 

“O, yes. But I find that it will be about as ex¬ 
pensive as buying a new clock and I’m hoping that 
it will take a notion some day to run as it should. 
You see I’m attached to that clock!” 

“So am I,” declared Cathalina. “It’s the very 
first alarm clock I ever got up by.” 

“If you will cling to this timepiece, then, as it is,” 
said Isabel, “why not make out a schedule and hang 
it up, so any of us who happen to be here, or who 
dash madly in, in the course of our wild careers, 
will not be misled?” 

“Very good, Miss Hunt. I like your idea. Cath¬ 
alina, you are the artist, will you make out the sched¬ 
ule ?” 

“I’ll put one up tomorrow some time and illumin¬ 
ate in color if you like.” 

“Just put at the top ‘Procrastination is the thief 
of time’, please, for me,” said Betty. 

“By the way, Betty,” said Isabel, whose conscience 
seemed to have stopped hurting at visiting during 
study hours. “It looks as if our trip with the girls 
to the cave will have to be put off indefinitely, doesn’t 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 129 

it? Did you notice what Miss Randolph said this 
morning ?” 

Betty and Cathalina both nodded. Hilary and 
Lilian had evidently not applied Miss Randolph’s 
remarks as interesting them particularly. Isabel 
struck an attitude and with ridiculous gestures of 
which Miss Randolph could never have been guilty, 
repeated nearly word for word what the principal 
had announced: 

“ 'I understand that one or two beach parties have 
been held beyond permitted limits and it occurs to 
me that some of you may not be familiar with our 
rules on that point. Greycliff grounds proper, which 
include the grove only as far as the “high hill”, are 
the limits, with the exception of the beach as far as 
the breakwater on the side toward the Village of 
Greycliff and the river on the other side. The beach 
in recreation hours is always guarded during the 
season. In winter, however, special permission may 
be obtained for any kind of an excursion. There 
will be the regular winter sports which will occupy 
all the time you have to spare from your studies. 
It will always be announced when the ice on the 
river is safe for skating. No girl is to attempt it 
otherwise.’ ” 

“How do you remember like that, Isabel? That 
is almost exactly what she said.” 

“From early youth, Cathalina, I have been com- 


130 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


mitting the words of the wise and great! You 
should have seen the shows that Billy and I used to 
get up when we were little. Shall I give a little 
tragedy now?” 

'‘Spare us!” exclaimed Lilian, with pretended an¬ 
guish. 

“I remember what my opponents say in debate, 
too, that I may answer their arguments. Honestly, 
though, girls, I don’t always get the words just 
right. I must have tried to remember this morning. 
We’ll have to coax Patty to go with us some time. 
Miss Randolph did say ‘unchaperoned’, I forgot that; 
we could go with some chaperone outside of limits.” 

“It’s my opinion that we’d better leave that cave 
alone,” said Betty, while Isabel and Cathalina looked 
at her in some surprise, for was not Betty the one 
who suggested that the last trip should not be talked 
about ? 

“Sit down, Isabel,” said Betty, “I think I’d like 
to tell the girls about our experience. We thought 
at first we wouldn’t just yet, girls, but it’s rather in¬ 
teresting and some of you might better know 
about it.” 

“There goes the bell, Betty,” said Isabel. “Wait 
till I get Pauline and the rest who were with us on 
the first trip to come over.” 

“In a few minutes the girls of the other suite, 
with Avalon, too, were in Lakeview, listening to 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


131 


the tale which Betty and Isabel had to relate of 
their visit and what they had seen. The story 
did not lose anything in Isabel’s vivid description, 
and nothing was omitted except Betty’s recognition 
of the chief actor, of which no one except Cathalina 
knew. 

The next day was a busy one. “It is dreadful the 
way things seem to pile up toward the end of the 
week,” sighed Betty. 

“Yes, all the things I get ahead in get almost 
ahead of me, by Friday anyway. I have to study 
every spare minute today. We wasted a good half 
hour last night. I’ll not get any schedule made. 
That is rather silly anyway. It is ridiculous to let 
the clock get so much ahead. You ought to fix it in 
the middle of the week anyway, Hilary.” 

“Of course I ought,” acknowledged Hilary, “but 
we have the school clocks and the bells and don’t 
use it much. I’ll fix it tonight.” 

The girls hurried down to breakfast and then 
were plunged into the vortex of classes and lessons. 
In the middle of the morning, Juliet brought over 
Betty’s watch and not finding any one in the suite 
left it in plain view on the table. 

Lunch over, Hilary, Lilian and Betty who were 
to recite in senior Latin the first hour in the after¬ 
noon, hurried upstairs to go over it together, while 


132 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


Cathalina, whose class in Cicero came later, strolled 
off to the library with her Cicero text. 

“Of course we’d have to have a longer lesson than 
usual in this hard place,” growled Betty. “O, here’s 
my watch. Somebody brought it over. It’s stopped, 
of course. Did you change the clock, Hilary?” 

“No, and I won’t bother to fix it till night. Allow 
about three minutes for the gain so far today. 

Betty set her watch, remarking that she would look 
at the clock in the recitation room and get it just 
right. They had just decided upon the rendering of 
a hard passage when a knock came at the door and 
Dorothy Appleton with two more senior girls came 
in to see how the girls* translation accorded with 
theirs. And while they were all listening to Hilary 
as she read the disputed lines, a delegation of five 
others came in, Julia Merton in the lead. “Good,” 
said she, “we’re just in time, I see. There’s one 
line that doesn’t make any sense to me at all. How 
do you read it, Hilary?” 

“Read the whole lesson, Hilary,” said Dorothy. 
“It’s so hard and has so many new words that I can’t 
remember them.” 

“Mercy, no, child,” warned Julia. “Look at the 
clock. It’s time to go now, but—” 

“No it isn’t,” said Hilary. Our clock is twenty 
minutes fast, or nearly that. There’s plenty of 
time!” 






THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


133 


“I thought I heard the bell as I came in.” 

“It must have been for gym or something. I 
didn't hear it,” said Lilian, “but then we don’t al¬ 
ways hear it when our windows are down. Are you 
sure you didn’t fix the clock?” 

“Perfectly sure,” said Hilary with decision. Betty 
was already showing two or three girls the why and 
how of her reading. Then Hilary began, while the 
girls listened, took notes and stopped her occasion¬ 
ally to ask a question or two. “The notes do not 
say one word about that,” Dorothy remarked. 

“No, of course, the very thing you want is never 
mentioned!” replied Julia, quite unfairly to the very 
learned gentleman who edited the text. 

Promptly at a few minutes of the time for class 
to begin, the senior girls trooped down the stairs 
and over to the library building where Dr. Carver’s 
recitation room was located. There was no one in 
the halls, and the murmurs of voices came from one 
or two recitation rooms as they passed. 

“We must be late after all,” said Hilary. “Per¬ 
haps the old clock decided to keep time.” 

The door to Dr. Carver’s recitation room was 
closed. “They’ve begun,” said Lilian. “Do you 
remember the fun last year when Isabel put up the 
notice that there would be no Cicero?” 

“Do I?” replied Betty. 

With some hesitation and not a little trepidation, 


134 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


Dorothy Appleton, who was in the lead, opened the 
door. The girls all started in and stopped in sur¬ 
prise and embarrassment as with one accord they 
glanced first at the clock on the wall opposite and 
then at the astonished portion of the senior class 
which faced them. Dr. Carver spoke in much an¬ 
noyance as one or two of the girls started toward 
her as if to explain. 

“We are in the midst of the recitation, young la¬ 
dies. Take your seats. You may explain this inex¬ 
cusable tardiness later.” Hastily, and in much con¬ 
fusion of mind and spirit, the “young ladies” sought 
their own seats and the lesson proceeded. 

“What on earth kept you girls?” wrote Juliet on 
a piece of paper and passed it to Hilary. 

“Something wrong with my clock,” wrote Hilary 
on the back, returning the paper to Juliet. Hilary 
was not given to writing notes in class, but this whole 
situation was irregular. 

Reading Hilary’s reply, Juliet at first smiled and 
looking at Hilary formed with her lips the words 
“poor Hilary”, for she quite feared for the girls’ 
grades in Dr. Carver’s hands, and wondered if they 
would be permitted to make up the work, or if they 
would be counted absent, with a zero to their credit. 
No one could tell what Dr. Carver would do with 
her ideas of strict discipline. Then a disagreeable 
thought came to Juliet. There was a pang of mem- 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


135 


ory, with a sinking of the heart! “O, Hilary!” 
she wrote, “I set your clock right, when I came in 
to leave Bett’s watch. Was that it?” 

Hilary read, looked up at Juliet, across the two 
girls who sat between, and at the look on Juliet’s 
face she could scarcely control her own. She 
coughed, put her face in her handkerchief, and moved 
a little in order that she might be screened from 
Miss Carver’s view. She felt that eagle eye flashed 
in her direction. It was dangerous to lose the place 
in any class, but particularly in Dr. Carver’s. That 
fact soon sobered Hilary, and she prepared to be 
called on, rather hoping, indeed, that she would 
have a chance to make a grade. Fortunately, she 
caught the last phrase in the translation of the girl 
who was reciting and in the discussion which fol¬ 
lowed on the syntax of a word managed to find 
where the class was reading. It was just in time, 
for “Miss Lancaster” was the next call. 

At the close of the recitation hour a group of 
amazed girls gathered. “For pit-tee’s sake,” said 
Pauline, “we wondered why you didn’t come and 
didn’t come, and Dr. Carver looked so mad at hav¬ 
ing about half the class gone. She asked us what 
was the matter and nobody knew,—what was the 
trouble ?” 

“My old clock,” replied Hilary. Just then the 
penitent Juliet joined Hilary. “Come on, Hilary, 


136 THE GIRLS OF GREYGLIFF 

let’s go up to Dr. Carver and explain. I came in 
to bring Betty’s watch and noticed that your clock 
was all wrong, so I set it back right by my watch. 
Betty’s had stopped, but I didn’t wind it, afraid 
to fuss with it. I never thought—” 

“Of course you didn’t. It was all my fault for 
letting the clock go that way.” 

The other girls filed out into the jhall, while 
Hilary and Juliet went up to Dr. Carver’s desk to 
explain. Cathalina, coming in for her Cicero les¬ 
son, was hailed by the crowd and asked why she 
was on time. She looked blankly at them, while 
laughter ran round the circle. “I just came from 
the library,” said she. 

“O, you weren’t in your room, then: it is ex¬ 
plained !” 

Still wondering, Cathalina went on into the class 
room, leaving the buzzing crowd of girls who moved 
on and out of the building. 

“How did it happen,” asked Hilary, “that none 
of the rest of you girls had the time?” 

“I did,” said Julia, “but by the 'irony of fate’ I 
never looked at my watch and swallowed everything 
you said,—after hearing the bell, too!” 

“I am touched at your confidence,” laughed 
Hilary. 

“I had my watch on, too,” acknowledged Doro- 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


137 


thy, “but I was just thinking about those puzzling 
lines in the lesson.” 

“We all were,” said one of the other girls, “and 
when Hilary insisted that there was ‘plenty of time’, 
of course we believed her.” 

“Don't blame Hilary,” said Juliet. “It was all 
my fault. I thought I was doing a kindness instead 
of upsetting the whole schedule and making half 
the senior class late! I expected Dr. Carver to be 
horrid, especially if she remembered last year, but 
she was real fair and said we could make up the work 
if we wanted to and she would consult Miss Ran¬ 
dolph about the tardiness.” 

“After this,” said Hilary, “I fix my clock every 
day or get a new one.” 

“Don't worry, Hilary, we all think it a big joke, 
and shall never forget you as you sat—all of us in 
blissful ignorance that class was in session—read¬ 
ing the whole hard lesson to the crowd!” Thus spoke 
Dorothy, president of the senior academy class. 


138 THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


CHAPTER XI. 

Hallowe’en,, with other events. 

In a boarding school full of bright girls, the most 
ordinary weeks contain something new and interest¬ 
ing, but the last week of October in this opening of 
the year at Greycliff was full of plans and more or 
less exciting events. First came the arrival of the 
butterfly pins. They came on the morning mail, 
addressed to Cathalina, who, on finding them with 
her mail, immediately called a meeting of the Psyche 
Club in Lakeview Suite. “Come as soon as you 
get through with your recitations this afternoon,” 
she said. “I’ll not open the box till everybody is 
there, and then we shall know whether we are to be 
terribly disappointed or perfectly delighted!” 

Promptly the girls arrived at a time when they 
judged that the last one would be through. Eager 
with anticipation, they watched Cathalina open the 
larger box in which they came and take out the 
small individual boxes marked each with the name 
of the girl for which it was intended. 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 139 

How nicely they have fixed everything!” said 
Hilary. 

“This firm knows how to do it just right,” an¬ 
swered Cathalina. 

Then came the O’s and ah’s of the girls as they 
took out the exquisite little pins. “O, Cathalina! 
what perfect beauties!” exclaimed one. 

“I didn’t dream even from your design that they 
would be as lovely as this,” said Juliet. Cathalina 
looked pleased. 

“Look on the back, everybody,” said Lilian, “and 
see how prettily they have our names and ‘Greycliff’, 
and the date.” 

“O-oo-oo!” cried Isabel, “I am just so happy 
over it that I don’t know what to do. Do you see 
those tiny jewels just in the right place? O, I’m so 
glad you girls let me belong to the Psyche Club!” 

“Why shouldn’t we ? It is yours as much as any¬ 
body’s,” replied Cathalina. 

But Isabel, who was sitting by Cathalina, gave 
her a hug and whispered, “I know who I owe be¬ 
ing in this club to,—whom, I mean!” 

Cathalina laughed. “I think that you are de¬ 
cidedly mixed, not only in grammar but in facts!” 

The pins were exactly the right size, the girls 
thought, neither large nor too small. The engraving 
by necessity had to be quite small, beneath the 
body of the butterfly. The pin was of gold, deli- 


140 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


cate, the main part of the wings with open spaces, 
but the tips or edges filled in with bits of enamel in 
butterfly colors, and on the elongated tips down¬ 
ward were the “tiniest” sets of sapphires and dia¬ 
monds. Two wee jewels were supposed to be the 
eyes of the insect. The girls tried them on, as girls 
do, running to the mirror to see the effect. 

“I didn’t want to try too many colors,” said 
Cathalina. “I wanted it to suggest one of those big, 
handsome blue butterflies, you know, and that blue 
enamel with the bit of black to set it off, with the 
gold, too, seems to give the right effect.” 

“Now the bill, Cathalina,” suggested Pauline. 
“Everything has to be paid for, you know.” 

“The bill is—just nothing,” announced Catha¬ 
lina. 

Loud protests began at once. 

“See here, Cathalina, that simply can not be,” 
said Lilian. “We could not think of allowing you 
to meet such a bill as this must be, and you must 
not ask us to.” 

“I should think not!” exclaimed Eloise. 

Cathalina was smiling during all this. “Now, 
girls, if you will only give me a chance to tell you 
about it,—” 

Hear what she has to say,” said Betty, who was 
the only one that knew what Cathalina wanted. 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


141 


“All right, Cathalina, speak up or else forever 
hold your peace,” said Isabel. 

“Now of course, girls, having made the design, 
you know, I did want it worked out exactly as I 
wanted it. You don’t blame me, do you?” 

“Not a bit of it.” 

“On the other hand, it costs a good deal to have 
a particular design made up, or might, anyway, and 
I did not want to have you girls put to a great 
expense. I really wanted to have the privilege of 
presenting the pins to you, but when I consulted 
with Betty about it she was quite doubtful. Still, 
I think it would be mean for me not to do what I 
want, when I was so self-sacrificing in making that 
design!” Cathalina’s smile beamed on them as she 
said that, for all of them knew what fun it had been 
to her to work out the idea. Various expressions 
were on the faces of the girls. Eloise sat with her 
face in her hands, chin uptilted, her elbows on her 
knees, her bright eyes fixed on Cathalina. 

“Make your argument good, Cathalina,” said the 
judge’s daughter, “if you expect to convince us of 
anything we don’t want to do.” 

“I’m hoping that you will want to do it, Lilian,”' 
replied Cathalina, “by the time I get through, be¬ 
sides wanting to congratulate me!” 

“Mercy! She’s engaged to the jeweler, perhaps! 
He couldn’t let such a designer go!” 


142 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“You haven’t come so far from it, Lil, after all,” 
said Cathalina. “The jeweler wrote about the de¬ 
signs—you know I made several—and offered to 
make the pins and give me fifty dollars besides if 
I would give him the exclusive right to the designs!” 

“Why, Cathalina! You little old artist! What a 
pity that you aren’t poor enough to be ‘saved from 
starvation’ or something!” So said Isabel. 

“O, I’m crazy about the money!” said Cathalina, 
to the girls’ great surprise. “It’s the first money 
I ever earned, and while I think that art is above 
all money, I can’t help be glad that mine is good 
enough to be wanted and have some money value!” 

“Well, maybe we aren't proud of you!” said 
Lilian. “Tell us what you want and it is yours to 
the half of our kingdoms!” 

“Just this, girls; you see that the pins haven’t 
really cost me a cent, that making the designs has 
brought me something unexpected both in money and 
‘fame’, and so I would feel dreadful if you all could 
not have some share in the good fortune too.” 

“We’ll think about it,” said Pauline. 

“No, I want it decided now. How would I feel 
having you hand me cash for these pins?” 

“What do you think, Betty ?” asked Eloise. 

“Her heart’s set on it girls, and I think she’ll 
be about killed if you insist on paying anything for 
the pins.” 




THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


143 


“All right, then,” said Pauline, “let’s do it before 
we repent,—all in favor of accepting the pins as our 
unearned share in Cathalina’s well-earned good luck, 
say ay!” 

“You are dears,” said Cathalina. “A load has 
rolled off my mind and I’m positively dippy about 
the sale of those designs. The moral of that is, do 
something you love to do, for people you love to do 
it for, and other folks will want it too.” 

“It’s almost wicked, though, Cathalina, for us 
to wear these pins before the other girls, they’ll 
want some too.” 

“Well, they can have butterfly pins. But the 
jeweler promised me not to make pins exactly like 
these for anybody, so these are our very own Psyche 
pins!” 

“Our 'inspiration’ pins,” added Betty. “Now let’s 
decide what we’re going to do on Hallow-e’en.” 

Sometimes Greycliff girls gave a masquerade party 
all together, but this year it was thought best merely 
to allow the girls to get up small parties or not, 
just as they pleased. 

“What day does it come on ?” asked Hilary. 

“In a few days, anyhow; I haven’t looked up the 
calendar. The question is whether we shall have 
the Psyche Club only, or the literary society, or some 
other kind of a party.” 

“If we have a Shakespearean Society Masquerade 


144 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


we could have the hall and try all kinds of Hallow¬ 
e’en doings, have one end curtained off, and have 
the girls toss apple-peelings to see what initials they 
form, you know,—” 

“Yes, and the back stairs and steps are right there, 
you know. We could go down backward with a 
candle and a looking glass and see our future hus¬ 
band’s face and all that!” 

“It wouldn’t be necessary to be masked, would 
it?” asked Juliet. 

“No,” said Cathalina, but it would be more fun, 
wouldn’t it?—more mysterious. I brought some 
costumes from home, thinking of Hallow-e’en. I 
have a pretty pansy costume for Betty. I always 
think of a dark purple pansy when Betty looks up 
with those eyes and lashes of hers.” 

“Listen to that, Betty; did she ever tell you that?” 

“No, she didn’t.” 

“I’ve been saving it till the right time,” said 
Cathalina smiling at her chum. “Then I brought 
several others that I will show you, girls. One be¬ 
longs to Ann Maria, my cousin, and another to 
Louise, another cousin. I happened to think of 
our needing something sometimes and asked the 
girls if I might not bring them. You remember 
Ann Maria and Louise, Hilary, don’t you?” 
“Indeed I do.” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


145 


“I’m all right with a gypsy costume that I can get 
up from what I have/’ said Hilary. 

“Cathalina thinks I have purple eyes!” pouted 
Betty, in fun. 

“ ‘I never saw a purple cow/ ” quoted Pauline. 

“ *1 never hope to see one,—” 

“I did not mean the color, Betty,” laughed Catha¬ 
lina, “but I’ll admit that I did not make that very 
clear.” 

“Well, then, let’s have the society party, no eats 
except apples, nuts, fudge and cider,” said Juliet. 

“That would be clevah,” remarked Helen. “Can 
you get the ciduh?” 

“We had some last year on several occasions. 
We’ll have to order it right away, and be sure to 
specify szveet cider. They had to throw away some 
that came once.” 

“May we invite a few outside of the society?” 
asked Avalon. “I was thinking that Virgie’s room¬ 
mate will be here tomorrow and it would be too bad 
not to have her.” 

“O, of course, in a case like that it would be all 
right,” said Hilary. “Besides, it may be that some 
of the girls have made plans with other groups for 
some other party.” 

It happened that the first written tests of the year 
came at the last of October, which added to the ten¬ 
sity of the week, and the girls found little time to 


146 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


fuss with costumes until the mystic night arrived. 
Meantime, Virginia Hope’s roommate materialized. 

It was perhaps as well for Virginia that she had 
had this opportunity to adapt herself to the new sur¬ 
roundings before any girl was placed with her. Per¬ 
haps Miss Randolph had thought of this. Virginia 
was much concerned in fitting herself properly into 
the Greycliff environment and manners. Quick to ob¬ 
serve, she avoided making what she considered fatal 
mistakes in table etiquette and other matters, taking 
one of the girls, Lilian, in fact, as her model in de¬ 
portment. Having obtained clothes which were in¬ 
conspicuous because suitable, she felt more at ease, 
and devoted herself chiefly to her lessons in those 
first weeks. She would have been lonely if it had 
not been for Isabel and Avalon, but they dropped 
into her room at all hours and kept her feeling that 
she had companionship. 

Remembering how much kindness had meant to 
her upon her arrival, she decided beforehand to be 
responsive and helpful to her roommate, whether she 
really liked her or not, but it was a real relief when 
Alma brought up a pleasant, attractive girl, of about 
her own age. and introduced her as Olivia Holmes 
from New Orleans. Alma promptly disappeared, 
leaving it to Virginia to do the honors. But it was 
easy to entertain Olivia. In less than ten minutes 
the two girls were talking as if they had known 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


147 


each other for years, and Virginia was helping Olivia 
put away her clothes in one of the two closets with 
which the room was supplied. The janitor had seen 
to the delivery of the trunk at once. 

‘T saved these drawers for you/’ said Virginia. 
“If you would prefer any of those that I have my 
clothes in, just say so and it will be easy enough 
to change.” 

“Mercy, no; why take any more trouble than 
necessary ?” replied easy-going Olivia. “This is a 
nice big closet. See my new fur coat? Im simply 
delighted to be up north where I shall see snow.” 

“Haven’t you ever seen it?” asked the amazed 
Virginia. 

“No, I’ve never been north before. Father and 
Mother have gone out to California to visit my sister 
and the new baby and will probably stay there all 
winter. My sister isn’t very strong and Mother 
has been crazy to get there. I had to be sent to 
school somewhere, so I begged to be sent here. I 
heard of it through one of the girls at home, and 
sent for a catalogue. Do you like it?” 

“O, yes! You haven’t made any mistake in choos¬ 
ing your school, unless it’s too cold for you!” 

Olivia laughed and tossed her head. “No danger 
of that, I reckon; I could hardly wait, though, till 
I got my fur coat. Mother said I had all the things 
I’d ever need for a trip to Alaska! I’m sure I’ll not 


148 THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 

be homesick, because the folks are away from home 
anyway.” 

“You will miss them, won’t you?” 

“Yes, indeed; but they were abroad for a year 
once and left me with my aunt. We travel good 
deal in our family.” 

All this was very interesting to Virginia, who 
wrote to her father that night telling him how ex¬ 
citing it was to live with a girl from New Orleans. 
“This is a very cosmopolitan place, as one of the 
teachers said in chapel,” wrote Virginia. “We have 
a Chinese girl, and a French girl is coming soon. 
Miss Randolph spoke of it to us all and said that 
we are not to ask her any questions because she 
was terribly frightened when the Germans made their 
first advance and just escaped in time. It seems 
like living in a story, Father, and I can’t thank you 
enough for letting me come here.” 

Olive was very happy that she should be invited 
at once to a party and took more interest, if the 
truth must be told, in getting a costume and mask 
ready, than in catching up with her lessons. Catha- 
lina helped her, from the supply which she had 
brought, and such trying on of costumes and decid¬ 
ing on characters as there were! Isabel burst into 
Virgie’s room on the afternoon of the party with 
a whoop of satisfaction. “Look here, girls, what do 
you think of this ? I had a bright idea and made my 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


149 

Bluebeard’s blue beard of cotton and colored it with, 
ink. Isn’t it ferocious?” she inquired, adjusting it 
to her rosy face. 

The hall was decorated with pumpkin lanterns, 
black cats, witches, broomsticks and the like in var¬ 
ious forms as they come for such purposes. One 
end was curtained off for the trying of fortunes 
and different Hallow-e’en performances, and the sum 
of five cents was charged for the privilege of taking 
part. TRY YOUR FORTUNE, FIND OUT 
WHOM YOU ARE TO WED, AND HELP THE 
SOCIETY BUY ITS FURNITURE, was printed 
in large if shaky letters on a banner fastened across 
the curtain. From the shouts of laughter which 
came from behind the curtain it was evident that 
something funny was taking place, and tickets could 
scarcely be given out fast enough. The door at 
one end of the hall, or society room, was included 
behind the curtain, and through this door girls, clad 
as witches were sending their patrons, equipped 
with candle and mirror. Just around the corner 
was a short flight of stairs to the back door and 
the stars. 

“Come on, Betty, try it,” urged Cathalina and 
Eloise, who were two of the witches. 

“Did you see anything, girls?” asked Betty of 
Isabel and Virgie. Betty in the pansy costume, her 
mask thrown back, was a pretty sight. 


150 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


‘‘No, not a thing, go on,” said Isabel. 

“Sh, you’re not supposed to tell,” said Eloise. 

“I’ll go, then,” said Betty, “you leave the door 
Open, don’t you ?” 

“Yes, and a witch is behind the curtain at the 
top of the stairs. Don’t forget to back down and 
look out for two steps outside the door. 

“Betty started. It was pitch dark in the stair¬ 
case, except for the feeble candle, and sensible as 
Betty was, she felt the charm of Hallow-e’en night 
and a bit of excitement as girls do. Slowly she 
backed down, out the door, down two stairs more, 
her candle flickering in the breeze, then she looked 
in the mirror,—O, a face! She gave a little cry, 
slipped on a frosty leaf and would have fallen but 
for two strong hands at her elbows. “Pardon me, 
said a manly voice, and a quickly moving figure dis¬ 
appeared in the darkness. Betty lost no time either, 
but flew indoors, up the stairs, and whisked into 
the gay room again, as if all the witches in poetry 
and prose were after her. 

As she dropped, breathless, into a chair, Catha- 
lina bent over her saying in a hollow voice, “Only 
the witch may receive your message. What did you 
see?” 

“I’ll tell you afterward, Cathie,” whispered Betty, 
“I really did see something, but don’t tell anybody.” 

“The response is satisfactory. Depart. Take 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


151 


this memento of your adventure/’ and Cathalina 
pinned on Betty a black cat badge. ‘‘Refreshments 
are served at the other end of the hall at the booth.’’ 

Betty adjusted her mask and joined the other 
revelers outside the curtained place of mysteries. 
Cider, doughnuts and fudge tasted good after her 
last exciting adventure, and she parted with several 
more nickles, for the girls had decided to meet the 
expense of their refreshments in this way, except in 
the case of their guests, who were to be served free. 
It was a pretty scene, the gay dresses, the yellow 
and black decorations, the odd witches who were in 
charge, the movement and life among the maskers. 

Miss Randolph permitted later hours than usual, 
and it was a tired but satisfied company of girls 
who left the society hall after the last doughnut had 
been eaten and the last drop of sweet cider drained 
from the little glass cups and the big “punch” bowl. 
Lilian had been a fairy, and danced into Lakeview 
Suite as if she were just beginning the evening. 

“I couldn’t do that,” said Hilary, as Lilian whirled 
around two or three times on her toes. 

“Poor old Hilary; no wonder, with all the dec¬ 
orating you did, and served all evening nearly in 
the booth.” 

“I just loved my pansy costume, Cathalina; come 
and help me off with it, and I will help you off 


152 


THE GIRLS OP GREYCLIFF 


with your witch’s garments. Good-night, Hilary, 
and Lilian, ‘airy fairy Lilian’!” 

“Goodnight. Shall I set the alarm for six?” 

“Yes, Hilary, please,” replied Cathalina, “we 
hate to, but we have to!” 

“It isn’t so awfully late, and we need not talk 
long,” said Betty, as the pansy costume was hung 
in the closet, “but I must tell you what happened. 
It seems that I always have the queerest adventures! 
.When I got to the bottom of the steps, I held up 
the mirror according to directions and the candle 
flickered and almost went out in the wind,—and 
then I did see a blurred face in the mirror! But it 
wasn’t the spirit of my husband to be, not a bit of it. 
It was somebody real, for when I squealed a bit and 
turned to run, my foot slipped and I would have 
fallen if this young man had not put our his two 
hands and caught my elbows!” 

“A ‘young man’, you think?” 

“Yes, and I’ve been worrying ever since, for 
fear it was the same one snooping around again. 
Do you think it could be ?” 

“Couldn’t you see the face the least bit, enough 
to know complexion, or eyes, or anything?” 

“Just two eyes, nose and mouth, yes, and a grin. 
You can imagine that with that flickering little light, 
and my slipping right away, and being so startled, 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


153 


I could not recognize anybody by that moment’s 
glance at a reflection!” 

“Didn’t he say a word?” 

“O, yes; he said ‘Pardon me/ as he caught me, 
and it was really very nice of him to go away, under 
the circumstances.” 

Cathalina laughed. “Yes, considering that you 
had gone out there to see the face of your future 
husband in the mirror, it was wise indeed for the 
young man to disappear as quickly as possible. But 
did his voice sound anything like that of Louise’s 
brother?” 

“I couldn’t tell. It didn’t seem so to me, if I 
can trust instinct, but can I?” 

“Don’t know, Betty dear. Let’s get to sleep as 
soon as possible and we can think it out later. An¬ 
other mystery: Who is Betty’s future husband, the 
knight of Hallow-e’en?” 


154 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


CHAPTER XII. 

CLANG-CLANG. 

“What shall I do with the pansy costume, Cath- 
alina?” asked Betty the next morning, as she was 
hanging some articles in the closet. 

“Just give it to me. Fll fold it and put it in my 
box. We need all the room in the closet/’ 

“All right,” assented Betty, “but I’ll fold it.” 

Betty laid out the dress on the bed, preparatory 
to the folding process, and looking over it said, “O, 
one of the pretty little pansy dangle-ums is gone 
from this sleeve! I’m sorry. I don’t remember 
catching it in anything.” 

“Perhaps it was gone to begin with, or was loose. 
I didn’t look it over when I gave it to you. It 
doesn’t matter at all.” 

“It shows that one was there, and I don’t see 
where one can move any other to take its place. 
I’ll run downstairs and look. Perhaps I dropped 
it in the society hall. O, Hilary, may I have your 
key to the hall?” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


155 


Hilary handed Betty her shining new key which 
the girls had had made, and Betty went down, glanc¬ 
ing at halls and stairs as she went. No small pansy 
appeared on the floor or among the decorations of 
the society hall. Betty even ran down the short flight 
from the first floor outdoors, unlocking the outer 
door which had not yet been opened and looked 
all around as if she expected some light on who 
had looked over her shoulder the night before. 

“I couldn’t find it, Cathalina,” she reported. 
“They are so unusual that it is a pity. Don’t you 
really mind?” 

“Not a bit, and I still think that it was gone before 
you ever put it on.” 

“If so, that is some consolation to me, then.” 

“Don’t worry your head about it, Bettikins; it 
can be fixed, I’m sure, if we need the costume 
again for anything.” 

“It’s so pretty I’d like to wear it all the time.” 

Later in the day Cathalina had a bit of news 
for Betty. “I heard that some of the boys from 
the military school were over last night,” she said. 

“O” said Betty, “who?” 

“One of the young instructors was calling on 
Professor Schafer and two or three of the boys 
came with him.” 

“Ha-ha-ho-ho!” exclaimed Betty. “Do you know 
who any of them were?” 


156 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“No; some of the older girls were telling about 
it and were wondering themselves what brought 
them.” 

“I imagine that it would not be very hard to 
induce some of the boys to go with you on Hallow¬ 
e’en if you were going on an errand to a girls’ school. 
I’m not a very curious person, I think,” added 
Betty, “but I really would like to know who was 
here last night!” 

No further information on the subject seemed to 
be forthcoming, even after a few guarded inquiries, 
and the weeks flew so fast with work and fun that 
Hallow-e’en soon seemed like a bright dream. Snow 
fell, beautiful and fleecy, or crystal and sparkling, 
rejoicing the hearts of the girls, as it introduced 
the winter sports. Thanksgiving came and went with 
its turkey celebrations and parties. As Christmas 
approached, there were sleighing and old-fashioned 
bob-sled parties. Skating and skiing and an ice car¬ 
nival promised much. Olivia Holmes of New Or¬ 
leans had all the winter that she wanted, but bravely 
endured the unaccustomed cold for the sake of 
the fun and the new experience. Luckily for her, 
her Dakota roommate realized how unused to cold 
winters Olivia was, and made all sorts of sensible 
suggestions for her protection. Bundled in furs, 
Olivia took part in everything with much zest. 

“Don’t you love the bells!” exclaimed Olivia on 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


157 


Saturday evening as she and Virgie settled down for 
a little visit with Isabel and Avalon after a ride in a 
big sled filled with straw. 

“Indeed I do,” assented Isabel. “The snow is 
so nicely packed now, and the roads are so good. 
Everybody that wanted to go could have a ride to¬ 
day. The girls in the sleighs thought they were 
so fine, but I loved it in the big sled and it was 
not nearly so cold for you, Olivia.” 

“I felt just like Santa Claus, though I always 
wanted to ride behind reindeer! Didn’t the horses 
prance and enjoy it?” 

“Yes, though I thought once that Prince was 
going to upset the double sleigh in front of us with 
his cavorting. But Mickey was driving, and can 
handle horses as well as he can boats.” 

“Do you suppose we’ll ever have a ‘GreyclifF 
again ?” asked Avalon. 

“I shouldn’t wonder, probably next fall,” said the 
cheerful Isabel. 

“I shall never forget this day, and my first real 
sled ride over the country,” declared Olivia, little 
knowing that she was still to have another memory 
for the date. 

The girls in Lakeview Suite were discussing the 
Christmas holidays so near at hand. “I wish that 
you could visit me this year, Cathalina,” said Hilary. 

“I’d love to,” responded Cathalina, “but then I 


158 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


can’t be in two places at once, and Mother thinks 
so much of having all the clan, you know. I’ll have 
to be there all the time. Can’t you come to us 
again? Campbell is always asking about you every 
time I see him.” 

“Not this year. You see we just moved this 
fall, and Mother and Father want me to be there and 
help with the Christmas entertainments and all. Be¬ 
sides, I couldn’t be away two Christmases in suc¬ 
cession. I’ve been trying to persuade Lil that it 
is her duty to go home with me.” 

“I might go for a few days, Hilary. Wouldn’t it 
be fun! I’ll write and see if I can. But I, too, must 
be with the folks on Christmas Day. Dick will be 
at home, and Father, especially, can’t do without 
me. It may be, too, that my married sister and 
the kiddies can come.” 

“All right, Lilian,” said Hilary gleefully, clap¬ 
ping her hands. “We’ll count on you for a few days 
anyhow. Then I thought that I’d like to ask Isabel 
and Virgie to go home with us. Isabel looked sort 
of wistful when I talked about having Lilian, and 
while I suppose her family might want her on Christ¬ 
mas Day, perhaps she could have a few days in the 
city and enjoy some Christmas shopping as I did 
with you in New York last year, Cathalina. Virgie, 
of course, can scarcely manage to go so far home. 
The only drawback is that I don’t know about ask- 


THE GII1LS OF GREYCLIFF 


150 


ing Olivia. There’s plenty of room in the parson¬ 
age, though, even with our big family.” 

“Avalon is going to take Olivia home with her, 
Hilary,” said Cathalina. “I heard her ask her the 
other day, and she accepted gratefully. Avalon has 
been very much attracted by Olivia. They are 
really more alike than Avalon and Isabel. 

“Yes, that is so,” said Lilian, “and Isabel and 
Virgie seem to love to be together. It will be lovely 
of you, Hilary, to give them both a good time.” 

“I like them both and it would be so forlorn for 
Virgie to stay here. I don’t know whether Isabel 
could take her home with her or not.” 

“I guess the girls that do stay here have a pretty 
good time,—but it isn’t like a home!” 

“We’ll have to go all alone, Betty,” said Catha¬ 
lina. “Betty has to trot right home, too.” 

“Isn’t it a wonderful night, girls?” said Hilary, 
moving over to the window. “There isn’t a bit of 
wind and it isn’t very cold, and that gentle soft 
snow falling again! But I’m rather glad it did not 
come when we were out riding this afternoon.” 

The other girls followed Hilary and sat in the 
window seat for a little while, looking out at the 
dim light and the veil of snow which was shrouding 
the trees and bushes with a fresh mantle. 

Some hours later, while youthful heads rested on 
comfortable pillows and dreams of sleigh-bells. 


ICO 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


snowy roads and meadows mingled with visions of 
Christmas celebrations and home folks, there came 
a sudden clang, clang, clang of the fire gong! 

Clang, clang, clang, again; and once more, clang, 
clang, clang! 

After the first three times it began again. Clang, 
clang, clang! Clang, clang clang! Clang, clang, 
clang! 

By this time, Hilary, who was “fire marshal” 
for the corridor, was wide awake, out of bed, into 
bathrobe and slippers, armed with her flashlight, and 
outside in the hall to oversee the rapid departure 
from the rooms. Lilian and Eloise, who were “dep¬ 
uties”, each with the flashlight, which was always 
under their pillows, hurried to the first landing and 
to the bottom of the stairway, their regular posts in 
fire drill. 

“I smell smoke,” said Eloise, as she hurried past 
Hilary. “It must be a real fire, for they'd never have 
a drill in the snow!” 

Doors opened and scared or sleepy girls emerged 
promptly. Hilary was running to rap on several 
doors. “Coming,” called Virgie, who was trying 
to explain to Olivia what to do- and to get her 
started. There had not been a fire drill, as it hap¬ 
pened, since Olivia had arrived, and no one had 
thought to say a word about it. 

“Wait till I get my purse!” said Olivia. 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


161 


“Hustle, child," said Hilary, “no time to gather 
up money,” and Hilary ran into the room and con¬ 
ducted forth the reluctant Olivia, who was about 
ready to cry. 

“I never knew you had a fire drill, and I was so 
scared,” she sobbed, as Virgie, holding her fast, she 
stumbled and slid down stairs by the aid of the ban¬ 
nisters. “I’ve got my fur coat, anyhow!” It was 
fortunate that the girls had flashlights, for after 
the first few moments the dim lights in the hall went 
out. Olivia was the last of the girls on the corridor, 
and Hilary brought up the rear. The lower hall 
was full of smoke by this time, and the girls were 
glad to get outside on the snowy porch. 

“All accounted for, Hilary?" asked Miss West. 
“Then take the girls over to the Gym where they will 
be warm. Hurry up, girls, and dry your feet when 
you get there.” 

The excited groups of girls from different exits 
of Greycliff Hall converged toward the gymnasium, 
where a teacher called together the fire marshals 
for a report of the girls on each corridor and 
floor. 

Hilary’s girls, like the rest, babbled of many 
things on the way. 

Oo-oh! I’ve lost off my slippers and the snow is 
so co-old!” 

“I’m most frozen!” declared Olivia. 


162 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“Why don’t you put on your fur coat, silly, in¬ 
stead of carrying it?” asked Isabel, who was rather 
unjustly disgusted with Olivia. 

“I d-didn’t have time, with Virgie and Hilary 
pulling me along so!” 

“Well, we didn’t want you burned up, did we?” 
asked Virgie. 

“It is hard on Olivia, girls,” said the just Hilary, 
who always “kept her head.” “I’m sorry, Olivia, that 
we had to do it, but you have to obey order in fire 
drill, or the real thing, as this seeems to be, You’ll 
be all right in a minute.” And after reporting her 
girls all present, Hilary spent a little while in seeing 
that Olivia was soothed, and warmed by having 
her feet rubbed until they were in a glow, while she 
sat by a radiator wrapped in her big fur coat. The 
gym teacher was flying around, finding towels and 
encouraging frightened girls. Most of the girls, 
however, had good self-control and some of them 
rather enjoyed the adventure. 

“Do you suppose that our things will be all burned 
up ?” asked Avalon. 

“I haven’t seen a flame yet,” answered Lilian. 

“It does seem as if we might have taken time in 
a real fire to gather up our most important things, 
don’t you think so, Pauline?” 

“It might turn out all right and it might not. 
Somebody would be overcome with smoke, perhaps, 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 




or stay too long, and after all, life is of more im¬ 
portance. I was in an awful fire once at a hotel, 
and we just had time to get out. I’ve always said 
since then that I was going to keep my jewelry and 
money in a little bag right by my pillow, but I 
forget to do it. I always know where my flashlight 
is, though.” 

“Let’s ask somebody how things are going,” said 
Cathalina. The girls were now looking out of the 
windows, where ever it was possible, toward the 
Hall. “Look! I do see some flames in the back 
part!” Everybody crowded up, the teachers, too. 

“Take a look around, Betty,” whispered Juliet. 
“Did you ever see such costumes worn by our revered 
faculty before ? Could you ever have imagined Dr. 
Carver’s hair looking like that?” 

While they watched, the old-fashioned fire-en¬ 
gines arrived from Greycliff, with a capable band 
of men from their fire department. But it seemed 
hours to the tired girls, whose excitement soon died 
down, before the cause and extent of the fire was 
discovered by the firemen and the fire under control. 
It was found to be entirely in the back part of the 
building. This part shut off, the rest of the build¬ 
ing was cleared of smoke and the girls taken back 
to their beds. A guard was kept all night, while 
the firemen worked, and assured that they were to be 


164 


THE GIRLS OF GREYOLIFF 


awakened at once if there was any more danger, 
most of the girls slept soundly. 

“What next?” said Helen to Eloise, as they crept 
into their cots once more. 

“I am too sleepy to think,” replied Eloise, “but 
the year has been lively enough so far, hasn’t it?” 

For several days there was more or less discom¬ 
fort or inconvenience in arrangements at Greycliff. 
The trouble was found to have originated in the 
electric wiring, all of which was most thoroughly 
gone over. But work and recitation went on and 
the routine duties were accomplished. 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


165 


CHAPTER XIII. 

HOME WITH HILARY. 

To school girls there is something especially ex¬ 
hilarating about the Christmas holidays. The long 
stretch at the beginning of the school year has been 
accomplished. The glorious time of celebrations 
and gift giving is at hand, with all the mysteries 
and secrets of the season. Home people never 
seemed more desirable than after so many weeks 
of separation. Good times have been planned for 
the “long vacation”, as the two weeks at Christmas 
time are often called. A new year will have be¬ 
gun before the girls see each other again. 

On Lakeview corridor they all were packing, run¬ 
ning back and forth with different articles, talking, 
laughing, joking. “Give Reginald my love, Eloise,” 
said Lilian mischievously, looking over her shoulder 
as she started out of the room. “Reginald” was the 
fabled name of some mysterious admirer of Eloise, 
who lived in her home town. Numerous letter had 
arrived, addressed to Eloise in a bold, manly hand, 


166 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


and as she would not say a word about them or their 
source and seemed more annoyed than pleased upon 
the arrival of each missive, the other girls could 
not resist making an occasional teasing remark. “O, 
there’s a letter from Reginald,” one of the suite- 
mates would say, pointing to the mail upon the 
table. Or, ‘‘We’ve received no communication from 
Reginald for a week or two,—can he be ill?” an¬ 
other would remark in tones of concern. Eloise 
would sometimes part her lips as if to speak, but 
only smiled an amused smile and kept her own 
council. Possibly she confided in Helen, the girls 
thought, but if so, Helen never betrayed any knowl¬ 
edge. 

“You are just crazy, you little old Lilian,” said 
Eloise on this occasion. “There isn’t any Reginald!” 

“We know that. ‘Reginald’ is only the distin¬ 
guished name we have chosen to represent the de¬ 
voted knight. We ask no confidences, fair lady, 
at this stage, at least, and only hope that he may 
be a worthy knight.” 

“Knight!” exclaimed Eloise. “Wait, Lilian, 
here’s my teeny-weeny Christmas present for you.” 
And Eloise handed Lilian a square, thin package 
marked “not to be opened till Christmas.” 

Eloise and Lilian, as they stood together for a few 
moments, were such pretty examples of opposite 
types. Lilian so fair, like a china shepherdess. 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


167 


though vivid and full of life, and Eloise, dark-eyed, 
red-lipped and sparkling. Eloise had been embroid¬ 
ering pretty corners on linen handkerchiefs for her 
friends. 

“O, you dear child,” said Lilian, ‘Til have to wait 
till I come back to give you my remembrance, but 
I know just what it will be.” 

“I ’spect you know what this is,” said Eloise, 
“because you saw me doing one for Cathalina. But 
every little stitch was put in for you, with oodles of 
love!” 

Isabel came into Lakeview Suite with the air of a 
conqueror and dropped into a corner of the window 
seat out of the way of packing and the general 
“mess”, as Hilary called it. “I’m all ready,” an¬ 
nounced Isabel. 

“Smart child,” said Hilary. “I have to get my¬ 
self ready and finish packing my bag. Em disap¬ 
pointed that Lilian has to go right home.” 

“Virgie is finishing up. Avalon and Olivia have 
gone downstairs to wait for the ’bus.” 

“Mercy! It’s an hour at least before it goes. 
Their train goes half an hour later than ours, too. 
They’ll have plenty of time to wait.” 

“Anything I can do to help you girls?” 

“No, I think not. Just excuse me while I get 
into traveling garb, and if you want to put those 


168 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


papers into the waste basket for us it will look 
less worse’ around here, but it isn’t necessary.” 

“I’ll have to do something or explode,” said Isa¬ 
bel. “I’m so crazy about going that I can’t keep 
still. It acts differently with Virgie, she’s going 
around in a dream, and she is such an intense soul 
that I’m afraid it will break out seriously later 1 
Aren’t you afraid to take us, Hilary?” 

“I should think not!” exclaimed Hilary much 
amused. “What time did you girls get up this 
morning that you are ready so early?” 

“It was dark, and all I’ve had to do since break¬ 
fast was to pack my bag.” 

“I barely got into my usual clothes by breakfast 
time,-—it’s so hard to get up these dark mornings,— 
but I have certainly made things fly in this half hour 
since.” 

“Are these your things laid our for your bag?” 

“Yes, except one or two little things.” 

Isabel packed the bag while Hilary dressed, tell¬ 
ing her that she thought she was mistaken about the 
time when the ’bus would start. Hilary finished 
and ran around to say goodbye to the girls who did 
not start so early. With bright faces and gay fare¬ 
wells, the company of girls going on the morning 
trains clambered into the ’bus and were off to Grey- 
cliff and the station. Isabel settled down into the 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


169 


well-behaved, demure, little rosy-cheeked lass she 
was at her best and the trip began. 

How proud Hilary was of the tall distinguished 
gentleman who met her and her guests and put them 
all into a taxi to be taken out to the parsonage. 
“O, Father, it seems ages since I’ve seen you all! 
Is Mother as well as she always writes that she is? 
and the boys? and Mary? and June? Lilian’s mar¬ 
ried sister came, so she went straight home.” 

Isabel and Virginia scarcely knew whether to 
look with content and admiration at the minister 
and his daughter or to watch the lights of the city 
from the taxi windows, for it was late when the 
train pulled in. At last they reached the parsonage, 
where the whole family welcomed the girls with 
enthusiasm. Gordon and Tommy shook hands cor¬ 
dially and viewed the two guests with interest. Mary 
responded shyly to their greetings, June hugged 
them both, and Mrs. Lancaster gave both mother¬ 
less girls a warm, motherly embrace. Hilary took 
them upstairs at once to the guest room. “This will 
be your room, unless some bishop or district superin¬ 
tendent comes unexpectedly, and then you will have 
June’s and mine.” 

“And what will you do, then?” 

“O, we’ll just hang up on the wall somewhere 
as usual, won’t we, June?” 

June was afraid that Hilary’s remark would be 


170 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


taken seriously and said, “We can sleep on the dav¬ 
enport or up in the attic.” 

Isabel and Virgina laughed and Isabel said, “You 
are very accommodating, then.” 

“A minister’s family has to be,” replied June. 

“You might call our family life ‘adjustable’,” 
suggested Hilary, “but we love to have company.” 

“We have cots and things, too,” said the serious 
little June. “It’s very easy for us to manage.” 

When the girls came downstairs, Mrs. Lancaster 
had a warm lunch for them and the whole family, 
even Dr. Lancaster, sat around and listened to the 
chatter about school and the doings of the Grey- 
cliffers. This was started by a remark of Dr. Lan¬ 
caster’s to Isabel: “Yours is the school, I believe, 
where they have little incidents like wrecks and 
fires.” The girls all laughed at this and started in 
with more vivid descriptions than they had dared 
write home for fear of worrying the home people. 
There was not much that was funny about the wreck 
of the Greycliff, but the fire was different. June 
fairly doubled up with laughter, and Gordon and 
Tommy, too, at Isabel’s graphic accounts of faculty 
costumes, the array of slippers left in the snow, and 
the funny things that different girls did under ex¬ 
citement. 

“Which was the girl, Hilary,” asked Tommy, 
“that you wrote about, the one that picked up her 




THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


171 


fountain pen from the table as she passed and left 
her pocketbook with a lot of money in it?” 

“O, that was Dorothy Appleton,” said Hilary, 
“but we aren't supposed to think of anything but 
getting out as quickly as possible. Of course it was 
rather thoughtless to pick up a pen and leave your 
money when it was right there by the pen.” 

“We’ll take in a little of the city tomorrow,” said 
Hilary, as she escorted her guests to their room. 
“Mother has good help engaged and says that I 
am to have a good time with you. I haven’t been 
home enough since we came here to know the city 
myself yet and shall enjoy the sights as much as 
you will. Some of the time Father will go with us, 
or Gordon and Tommy. I think June knows her 
way around, too.” 

The next morning, Dr. Lancaster offered himself 
as guide and took them all to the “Zoo” first, where 
they spent a good part of the morning. Although 
the birds and animals were in winter quarters, it 
was most interesting. The “Zoo-Eden” car again 
took them to the Rookwood Pottery, for which Cin¬ 
cinnati is famous, past the Art Museum, for which 
they wanted more time. The Pottery is a fascinat¬ 
ing place and the girls viewed the beauiful speci¬ 
mens of its work, and watched the potter at his wheel 
while the different processes were explained by a 
guide. 


172 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


By the time the round at the pottery was com¬ 
pleted, it was time for lunch. “Down the dizzy in¬ 
cline, girls/’ said Hilary, pointing to the Mt. Adams 
inclined plane near at hand. 

“My, do we go down those tracks ?” inquired Vir¬ 
ginia ? 

“The street car goes on a big platform which is 
kept on the tracks and pulled up or let down by 
cables. It does look as if you are running out on 
the jumping off place! But they keep it in repair and 
folks don’t seem to think anything of it.” 

June pointed out the river and the Kentucky 
towns on the other side as the car went down. “The 
bridge looks so pretty at night,” said she, “and all 
the lights of the town on the other side, as you look 
out.” 

“Mercy, I do feel so citified,” whispered Virgie 
to Isabel, as they followed Hilary into the dining 
room of one of the large stores. “Is it only a few 
months ago that I was out on a North Dakota ranch 
and had never seen nor heard of you girls ?” 

“After lunch,” said Dr. Lancaster at the table, 
“I shall take you to the top of the Union Central 
building and then leave you to your own devices 
while I go down to the Methodist Book Concern on 
business. Do you think you can take the right 
car home, Hilary?” 

“If she can’t, I can,” offered June. 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


173 


“We’ll be all right, Father, ,, said Hilary. “We 
want to shop and look at the Christmas displays 
this afternoon.” 

As the girls stood on the high lookout of the 
Union Central building, Hilary explained a little. 
“You see,” said she, “old Cincinnati was built in 
the ‘basin’, as they call it, right down on the river, 
of course, for convenience in business. There was 
much river traffic in those days. But when the city 
grew and grew, naturally the residences began to 
be built out on the surrounding hills. Father, with 
his favorite alliteration, calls it ‘Cincinnati and her 
hundred hills’. I love the down town spires. They 
give character and beauty to the whole place, Father 
says. O, I’m so glad that you are going to hear 
Father preach. He looks like the angel Gabriel and 
says the most wonderful things!” 

“No wonder you are so nice, Hilary,” said Vir- 
ginia, “with such a dear mother and the father you 
have,—not that you do not deserve some credit 
yourself!” 

“I am very thankful,” said Hilary, “for my dear 
people, but I ought to be ever so much better than 
I am with the bringing up I’ve had!” 

“Shall we go over into Kentucky some time?” 
asked Isabel, looking across at the Kentucky hills. 

“O, yes,” replied Hilary. “We can do that to¬ 
morrow if you like, go over to Covington, or ride out 


174 : 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


to Fort Thomas, where there is the army post, you 
know.” Virginia began to count the number of 
states that she had been in on her trip from the farm, 
and concluded that it would be not only fun to see 
Kentucky towns, but would add a state to her list. 

“Shopping next, girls,” said Hilary, as they went 
down in the elevator. “Fm not going to take you all 
over town, but into some of the big stores that are 
not very far apart, and then we’ll go somewhere for 
some good old sundaes and home again.” 

“Isabel and I both need some good gloves, first 
of all,” said Virginia, “then just Christmas things, 
and something to remember Cincinnati by.” 

In the days that followed so rapidly, there were 
certain great events that stood out in the life of the 
little girl from Dakota who had never seen nor heard 
anything like them. Through it all, too, ran the de¬ 
lightful feeling of being in a real home, with both 
a father and a mother, and a home built on the high¬ 
est ideals. 

There was the Symphony Orchestra concert, when 
she sat between Mrs. Lancaster and Hilary and 
watched the players with their instruments, many 
of them strange to her. Virginia thrilled to the 
harmonies and sat tense with enjoyment, not want¬ 
ing to miss a note. She loved especially the harp and 
the violins, and in between the numbers asked Mrs. 
Lancatser about the wind instruments and the gen- 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


175 


eral make up of an orchestra, till Mrs. Lancaster 
realized that there were some things she had not 
thought of herself. The people, too, were of no 
less interest to Virginia, especially those who were 
much dressed for the occasion and sat in the boxes. 
It was a phase of life which the girl had read about 
but had never seen. 

”Pinch me, Hilary,” she whispered once, after 
an especially beautiful and dreamy composition, “I 
must be dreaming, I can’t be really here with you, 
and actually hearing a Symphony Orchestra!” 

Hilary smiled with sympathy and squeezed Vir¬ 
ginia’s arm affectionately. 

On Sunday morning, the girls sat with the minis¬ 
ter’s family in the pew well up to the front, where 
father was sure to be supported by the confidence 
of his family! The church was beautifully decorated 
and the people sat in quiet reverence as the organ 
began its stately prelude. There was the exquisite 
Christmas choir music, especially prepared for the 
occasion, with one or two solos from the Messiah 
and “O, little town of Bethlehem, how still we see 
thee lie!” The sweet Christmas story was in the 
Scripture lesson, and a sermon followed which 
more than once made Virginia’s throat contract 
with its tender and spiritual message. She thought 
of her dear father, working so hard on the distant 
ranch, and wished that she could slip her hand into 


176 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


his and tell him how dearly she loved him, and she 
concluded that she had expected too much from 
the stepmother who had never known anything like 
this to make her thoughtful and kind. With the 
rest of the congregation she sang, “When Shepherds 
Watched Their Flocks by Night,” and stood quietly 
to listen to the last note of the Hallelujah chorus 
from the Messiah with which the organist closed 
the musical program, the people standing, then bowed 
their heads for the benediction. 

“And you’ve listened to sermons like that and 
been in wonderful services all your life, Hilary?” 
she asked, as they walked to the parsonage. 

“Yes, and I suppose I can’t really appreciate it 
as I ought,” said Hilary, sensing what Virginia was 
thinking. 

“I think you do, for you certainly put to practice 
what you have been taught,” said Isabel. “Still, 
part of it must be natural, because you just have a 
generous nature.” 

“It’s very dear of you girls to think so,” said 
Hilary, not a little touched, “but if there is anything 
good in me at all it is just because I try to keep 
close to the Source of goodness, and I believe all 
that Father preaches, even if I can’t live up to it as 
I ought to.” 

The good Sunday dinner brought them down to 
earth again, and how they did enjoy it! “These 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


177 


chickens came from Uncle Andy Short,” Tommy- 
informed them, as he stowed away a generous slice 
of the breast. 

“O, is he the one that sent or gave your mother 
the chickens that were in your famous birthday box 
last year?” asked Isabel of Hilary. 

“Yes, and he’s sent us two turkeys for Christmas. 
He was so disappointed when Father went away, 
but he and his wife have promised to visit us,—” 

“And, O boy, but we’ll have something good 
to eat when they do!” Tommy interrupted. 

“Son!” but Dr. Lancaster smiled, as he gave 
the mild rebuke. 

“They have everything on that farm,” said Gor¬ 
don, “make the best butter, have bees and honey 
and apple butter,—it’s a great place to go!” 

An Epworth League Christmas party gave Isabel 
and Virginia the opportunity to meet many of the 
young people in the church, and the Sunday school 
entertainment on Christmas Eve was the “dearest, 
funniest” program they ever heard! Isabel, the 
student of “expression” and drama, was convulsed 
over the recitations of some of the smallest tots. 
“It doesn’t make a bit of difference,” said she, 
“whether they do it right or not, and if they do for¬ 
get, it’s only funnier. I’d like to eat up that cute 
little tot in the blue dress!” 

Mary, with some other little girls, sang a Christ- 


178 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


mas song. Tommy and Gordon took part in several 
features of the program. Hilary found that she was 
not needed as much as she had been in the smaller 
place. Some one else played the accompaniments, 
and the program had been all arranged before she 
arrived on the scene. The girls were naturally 
interested in noting that there was a fine group of 
young men connected with the Epworth League 
and Sunday school. “I see where the ‘Campbell’ 
that Cathalina sometimes teases you about isn’t 
going to have a chance with these boys right here 
on the ground,” said Isabel. “My partner at the 
lunch the other night was a very good-looking boy, 
and I saw him casting several glances in your direc¬ 
tion, Hilary.” 

“I couldn’t notice his taking his eyes from you, 
could you, Virgie?” replied Hilary. 

“He did seem to be having a jolly time with Isa¬ 
bel,” Virginia answered, “but I must say that I was 
too busy trying to think of things to say to my 
partner to notice much else. It was such a nice 
party!” 

Christmas Day, that best-beloved, long antici¬ 
pated day, arrived and brought much happiness to 
the Lancaster home, with greetings and gifts. The 
girls had been busy decorating the tree, which they 
enjoyed soon after breakfast. There were presents 
for the family, with remembrances for Isabel and 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


179 


Virginia. Th door-bell kept ringing for a while, 
as it had the day before, and prettily wrapped pack¬ 
ages kept coming in from different members of 
the church. Mrs. Lancaster was busy overseeing the 
cooking of the dinner where the most savory smells 
testified to the skill of the colored woman who was 
flying about the kitchen. One turkey had been 
roasted the day before, and the other was in the 
oven. Quite a little company was to gather for 
dinner at the parsonage, for some lonely folks with¬ 
out family had been invited in. 

After dinner, Isabel, Virginia and Hilary played 
quiet games with the boys and Mary, while the 
older folks visited and the usual nibbling of nuts, 
fruit and candy went on between times. Later in 
the day other visitors dropped in and the young 
folks went out for a walk and ride. There seemed 
no end to the entertainment which the city could 
provide. 

Isabel went home to her father and the boys after 
Christmas, but Virginia stayed with the Lancasters 
through the vacation, the happiest she had ever 
known, and came back to school with Hilary. 


180 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


CHAPTER XIV. 

THE ICE CARNIVAL. 

It was in January, cold, sparkling, crisp, the ice 
on the dam above the river’s mouth thick and smooth 
as glass. There had been some very severe weather 
which the girls had welcomed as making it possible 
to skate. Now the weather was not so cold, but no 
approach to melting or thawing temperature. 

“We haven’t had much skating for a long time,” 
said Eloise, as she skated around in a circle, chat¬ 
ting to Hilary and Lilian. Betty and Cathalina 
skated up in time to hear the remark. 

“It is glorious!” declared Betty, “and yet it doesn’t 
freeze our noses or our feet. I hope it will not 
change before the carnival.” 

“O, it can’t! The carnival’s tomorrow, you 
know.” 

“It can do most anything, but I don’t believe that 
it will,” said Hilary. “I looked in the paper in the 
library and it said no change in temperature.” 

“Is there going to be any competition for fancy 
skating among the girls?” Eloise asked. 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 181 

“No,” replied Hilary, “all of us just skate our best 
during the time set and the judges pick out the 
most graceful and best skater. There is a second 
prize, too. But the boys do fancy skating.” 

“Do you know what I think?” said Eloise im¬ 
pressively. “I think that Betty can get the first 
prize if she tries to skate her best. Do it, Betty. 
You have had practice at your aunt’s up in Canada, 
and are a born skater, anyway!” 

Betty looked pleased, but replied, “I don’t know 
about that, Eloise, there are some good skaters in 
this school. Do you girls want me to show off a 
few extra whirls ? Cathalina and I have been trying 
a few ‘stunts’ together this afternoon.” 

“Yes, yes, Betty, for the glory of the Psyche 
Club!” 

“I’ll see what I can do, then, but it’s so much 
fun that I’m not going to think about competing or 
I might get scared, and I want to enjoy this car¬ 
nival.” 

“I imagine that Dorothy Appleton will stand well 
to the front among the best skaters,” said Eloise, 
“but she can’t do some of the things that you 
can, Betty.” 

“Isn’t Dorothy a fine girl?” said Betty. “I like 
her better and better the more I see of her.” 

“So do I,” declared Lilian, “well enough to ask 
her to join the Psyche Club some time.” 


182 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“I hadn’t thought of that,” said Hilary, in sur¬ 
prise. 

“If we asked her roommate, I believe Dorothy 
would be glad to join, in spite of what Myrtle and 
some of the others would say. I’m sure she likes us, 
but Dorothy is too dignified to let us know even if 
she would like to join us.” 

“Wouldn’t that be funny, girls, apropos of our 
senior elections,” said Cathalina, “electing Dorothy, 
who was supposed to represent the other crowd, the 
best of it, and then taking her in with us!” 

“Like old politicians again,” suggested Betty. 

“But we aren’t,” said Hilary decisively, “and if 
we are good friends with Dorothy it is because we 
like her, not to pay off any old grudges!” 

“Hear, hear!” cried Eloise. “How we do have 
to watch our motives, to keep them honorable!” 

“I think that Jane Mills is splendid, too,” said 
Betty. “I don’t know how they managed to change 
roommates, so they could room together, but it 
happened.” 

“Miss Randolph did it,” Cathalina informed them. 
“She saw how unhappy Dorothy was and fixed it all 
up some way not to hurt Madge. Now Dorothy and 
Jane are as happy as can be.” 

“Come on, Cathalina,” said Betty, “I’ll beat you 
to that pine tree,” and the girls all skated off. 

In a way they were practicing for tomorrow’s 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


183 


carnival, but for the past two weeks skating had been 
the popular pastime between afternoon classes and 
the six o’clock dinner. The river could be reached 
by a walk along the beach to its mouth, but the 
easiest way to the dam was by a gently descending 
walk from the grove down to the river’s bank at 
the dam. Nature had been much assisted in making 
this a pretty part of the grounds, but it was so far 
from the buildings that some one was always in 
charge when the girls skated in winter or rowed and 
paddled in summer. 

The carnival was causing more or less excitement 
because of the fact that the boys from the military 
school were coming. It was to be on a school day, 
also, and class hours were to be shortened! How 
fine that is all school girls and boys know. The boys 
were to arrive at the Village of Greycliff by trolley 
and be brought to Greycliff Girls’ School by the 
school sleighs and sleds, with such additional con¬ 
veyances from the village as were found necessary. 
The showing off performances with the trials for 
prizes, were to be in the afternoon, from three 
o’clock to five. The boys were, moreover, to be 
entertained at dinner, and in the evening there was 
to be a jolly skating party with big bonfires and 
lights of various sorts. 

“How are they going to manage the dressing for 
dinner?” asked Cathalina of Betty. 


184 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


‘‘Miss West said that we girls could dress as 
usual, coming right back to the Hall after the after¬ 
noon affair. Of course, we’ll want to dress up a 
little more than usual. The boys are going to make 
headquarters in the big Gym, I believe. They will 
be wearing their uniforms, you know, and any spe¬ 
cial skating togs they can adjust in the Gym. They 
will come over to the parlors before dinner and take 
us in to dinner very formally, I hear!” 

“Do you suppose that you will meet your knight 
of the mirror?” 

“I might, but how would I know him?” 

“Your little heart should tell you.” 

“What I’m worried about is that he may know me, 
and it was so silly to be trying that old Hallow-e’en 
test!” 

“I don’t believe that he could see you any better 
than you saw him. You said that the candle flick¬ 
ered in the wind.” 

“Yes, but I was shielding it with my hand. Still, 
I was all dressed up different, with my hair dressed 
high, too. O, well, what’s the use to worry?” 

“None at all. He must have been a gentleman; 
still, it wasn’t very nice of him to look over your 
shoulder.” 

“O, I don’t know; who could resist the temptation 
that knew the old superstition?” 

“Won’t it be a jolly party,—two ‘skates' and a 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


185 


dinner! I suppose the officers and instructors will 
be along, don’t you?” 

“Yes; they say that the dinner will be quite an 
occasion!” 

“This is the first they have had for several years, 
Miss Patty says. Then we’ll have a lawn fete in 
the spring, or just before Commencement, and invite 
our ‘soldier boys’ then, too, and the people from 
the village, I think, because it’s a ‘benefit’.” 

Party frocks were looked over that night and 
occasional stitches taken where necessary. It was 
very hard to study when there were so many de¬ 
lightful anticipations. “What do lessons compare,” 
said Juliet, with reckless disregard of tomorrow and 
the class room, “with being ready for an ice carnival 
at Greycliff? What shall we remember in coming 
years,” she added, mimicking Isabel’s style of mock 
oratory, “the formulas and theorems of our class 
rooms?—or the scenes of the Ice Carnival at Grey¬ 
cliff?” 

“The Ice Carnival!” promptly answered Pauline, 
while the other girls laughed. 

The day arrived. Classes did not go any too well. 
Teachers felt hurried and pupils distraught, think¬ 
ing of many more absorbing things. 

“I believe I’d almost rather have the girls miss 
the classes altogether than to have these short per- 


180 THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 

iods. We did accomplish a little, however.” So 
Patricia West concluded. 

“They couldn’t do a thing in chemistry,” replied 
Dr. Norris. “I gave up trying to have experiments 
and lectured to make them take notes. They could 
at least do that.” 

With a literal blowing of trumpets, the boys 
arrived, having brought their band. Neither girls 
nor boys wasted time in getting to the river. It 
made a pretty scene, the bright costumes of the 
girls, the white snow, the dark trees, the smooth 
ice and graceful skaters. Contests among the boys 
came off first; then followed the skating among the 
girls. There was only one real contest among the 
latter, a race in which Betty and Dorothy divided 
the honors, gliding to the goal together. Cathalina 
in getting Betty to do a few interesting* turns with 
her, asked her how to do some figures, and Betty 
showed her, not suspecting Cathalina’s guile till 
applause from a group of boys near brought her 
the realization that she had been “showing off”. 
Great was her surprise and pleasure when the judges 
announced her as winning the first prize. 

“Do you know any of those boys, Pauline?” asked 
Betty, casting a side glance at the group of boys 
which had applauded her, and particularly at one 
young gentleman who had seemed to be especially 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 187 

. «. 
interested,—standing aside from the rest and watch¬ 
ing her with great attention. 

“Yes; that one is Donald Hilton. Didn’t you 
notice him when he received the first prize?” 

“O,” said Betty. “No, I wasn’t very near then.” 

“He is a fine fellow and a cousin of Dorothy’s. 
That is John Appleton nearest him; doesn’t he look 
like Dorothy? Harry Mills goes with those boys 
a good deal. There, Donald and Harry are skating 
off together now.” 

Cathalina, who had been standing near (if it 
could be called standing, the uneasy moving of one 
skate before another, and the turns and whirls, upon 
occasion, in which the girls indulged), bent toward 
Betty and said in a low voice, “Look, girls, isn’t 
that Louise Holley’s brother?” 

“It certainly is,” replied Betty, remembering with 
a creepy feeling her last encounters with the young 
gentleman, and the girls skated off without further 
comment. O, I hope, Cathalina, that it wasn’t that 
Holley man that looked over my shoulders!” 

“So do I!” 

“They are starting back to the Hall now. I could 
skate on all night from now on,” declared Betty, 

“You think so now,” said Cathalina, “but you 
would be one tired little girl without that good din¬ 
ner that we’re going to have. Who, do you suppose, 
will take us in to dinner?” 


188 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“I hope we’ll have extra nice boys, but we’ll be 
good to whomever we have,—unless I have that 
Holley man, and I don’t believe I could stand it if 
I did.” 

“O, he seems to be one of the instructors; one 
of the older girls will have him. I wonder why 
they have him at the school. Do you suppose they 
know where he came from, or that he goes snooping 
around the way he does?” 

‘‘They must know who he is, but he is a mysterious 
person!” 

“What are you going to wear to dinner, Betty?” 

“The very prettiest frock I have.” 

“The soft light blue silk, then, with the lace, and 
your white pearls.” 

“Yes. How elegant that sounds, my ‘pearls’, as 
if they were real.” 

“Let me carry your skates for you, Miss Barnes,” 
said a pleasant voice just behind the girls, who had 
started from the dam toward the hall. 

Betty glancing to the side was rendered almost 
speechless to behold Rudolph Holley, the instructor, 
resplendent in the school uniform, reaching out his 
hand for her skates. 

“Our meeting was rather informal, I know,” con¬ 
tinued the young man, “but I have always wanted to 
thank you for the courtesy you gave my sister and 
me. I had motored over with some of the boys and 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


189 


was in a hurry. I seemed to have missed my sister.” 

“Yes,” thought Betty, “because of her trick on 
me!” But she was too courteous to want to show 
offense, besides being a little afraid of this man of 
night and motors and caves. 

“You were very welcome for anything I may have 
done for you and your sister,” was Betty’s reply. 
“Miss Van Buskirk, this is Captain Holley,” for 
she noticed the captain’s epaulets on his shoulders. 
“He must have gotten my name from Louise, and 
probably knows all about her miserable little per¬ 
formance and is proud of it!” So Betty’s thoughts 
ran on. “I don’t like him one bit. But how good- 
looking he is.” There was something not unpleasant 
in having this courteous young instructor in attend¬ 
ance upon them, while the other girls and boys 
were going by. Few introductions had taken place 
as yet, though there were a few old acquaintances 
among the older members of each school, besides 
the brothers and sisters in the schools. All were 
a little hurried, especially the girls, for warm rooms, 
bright lights, a good dinner and companionship 
were waiting them. 

Captain Holley meanwhile was thinking—though 
not in English—something like this: “She knows 
who I am, the little piece, and that was what I 
wanted to know.” He kept up the conversation with 
comments on the occasion, compliments to Betty 


190 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


and to Cathalina for their skating, and pleasant an¬ 
ticipations of the rest of the entertainment. 

“Have you been an instructor at the school long. 
Captain Holley?” Cathalina inquired. 

“No, not long,” replied the captain. “You know 
our sad history, I suppose. American is our coun¬ 
try now. We came here,—I was a student in one of 
the schools and could not be recalled for military 
service because of a slight physical defect, a matter 
of eye sight, which was fortunate for me. I was 
very sorry that it was not deemed best to keep my 
sister here, but Louise is not adaptable like myself. 
Professor Schafer, whom I met when I was a lad 
in Germany and he was studying there, has been 
very kind and I come over occasionaly to call on 
him.” 

Captain Holley accompanied the girls to the door 
of Greycliff Hall, where he handed the skates to 
the girls, and with a courteous bow departed, fol¬ 
lowing the boys to the gymnasium. 

“Did you ever?” asked Betty, as rather silently 
they mounted the stairs. 

“I never did,” replied Cathalina, and then they 
dismissed the matter, hurried into their pretty 
frocks, and hurried down into the parlors with the 
rest of the girls. 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


191 


CHAPTER XV. 

THE KNIGHT APPEARS. 

Halls and parlors were full of laughing boys and 
girls. Their years, perhaps, might entitle them or 
some of them to be called young men and women, 
but this generation does not marry off its girls at 
sixteen or seventeen and its boys at scarcely more 
than twenty. The military school trained youths 
from about fifteen to twenty, many of them from 
families who liked to have their sons in military 
training for a few years. The ages, then, cor¬ 
respond well with those of the Greycliff girls, and 
it was not hard to arrange partners for dinner. 
This had been largely done beforehand by a com¬ 
mittee of girls and teachers, a few changes having 
been made as the personnel of the assembled com¬ 
pany was noted, or as personal requests came in. 
Under or in the midst of palms and other plants not 
far from the entrance, was a little table where sat 
Patricia West, Dr. Norris, and one or two others 
of the younger teachers. There the cadets or officers 


192 THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 

gave their names or cards and were handed cards 
which contained the names of their dinner partners. 

“You can’t just go in, pick out the prettiest girl 
and ask her to go to dinner with you, then?” asked 
one young officer who knew Dr. Norris. 

“Not this time,” replied Dr. Norris, “but keep 
your eye on her and get her to go skating with you 
this evening; or get with the group at her table.” 

“O, you couldn’t do that, you know,” cried Patty, 
“because we will have place cards fixed from these 
duplicates, as soon as everybody is here.” 

“All right, Doc, how do I pick her out?” 

Dr. Norris beckoned to one of several girls who 
stood near, and who were trying hard not to laugh 
at this conversation. “Miss Mills will find the lady 
for you, Lieutenant Maxwell.” 

“ ‘The lady or the tiger,’ ” murmured this irre¬ 
pressible youth to Dr. Norris, then acknowledged 
his introduction to Miss Mills and gallantly escorted 
her through the throng in the hall. “Do you happen 
to know whether the fair lady is one of the girls 
or—ah—a teacher?” the young lieutenant asked 
Jane as she stopped to look and locate the damsel. 

“You will think that you are lucky,” said Jane; 
“I don’t believe that you could have chosen a more 
attractive partner yourself,” and she led him to 
Cathalina, who stood near one of the windows talking^ 
to Betty. 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


193 


Lieutenant Maxwell received an impression of 
a lovely face, a filmy frock and a courteous smile as 
he was introduced first to Cathalina and then by her 
to the other girls, Betty, Helen, Eloise and Pauline, 
who happened to be close by. But he offered Cath- 
alina his arm to take her over to a group of young 
officers who had promised to “stand by” each other 
and gather with their dinner partners in a little 
group. 

Betty was having two requests for her company, 
at the table in the hall. Fortunately for her, the 
most agreeable one came first, indeed had been ar¬ 
ranged for, as well. 

“I think it would be nice if we put the two who 
won the honors together, don’t you?” Patricia had 
asked, thinking what a pleasant companion for Betty 
it would provide. The others agreeing, she wrote 
Betty’s name on the card for Donald Hilton, who 
happened to come along after Lieutenant Maxwell. 

“May I ask for somebody ?” said Donald at once. 

“You may, though I think that you will be pleased 
with what we have arranged,” replied Patricia. 

“I would like very much to meet the young lady 
who won honors in skating, Miss Betty—” 

“She is the one we have for you,” and Patty 
handed out the card to the pleased lad. 

“I know her,” said Corporal Hilton. “I mean I 


194 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


know which she is, but I would be glad to have some 
one introduce us.” 

“We arrange for that,” replied Dr. Norris, intro¬ 
ducing one of the attendant girls again, just as Cap¬ 
tain Holley appeared with a request for “Miss 
Barnes”, delivered in rather a haughty manner. 
Donald overheard him, but did not change counte¬ 
nance as he hurried away with his pretty escort. 

“So it happened that Donald's first remark 
to Betty, as after the introduction he led her to a 
more or less secluded seat in the hall, in one of the 
recesses, was rather personal. “I came just in time,” 
said he, “for I heard another man asking for you 
right after I had received the card with your name.” 

Betty smiled and said, “I didn’t know that any of 
the boys knew me.” 

“It wasn’t any of the boys, it was an instructor.” 

“O,” said Betty, “how glad I am that you—” 
then she caught herself before she could go any 
farther. 

“I take it, then, that he is not any too popular 
with you ?” Donald’s air was that of earnestly want¬ 
ing to know about it, which surprised Betty, but 
pleased her. 

“O, no!” she replied, “not if it is the one I think 
it is.” 

“It was Captain Holley.” 

“Yes, I thought it must be, for he is the only one 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


195 


I have met, but I do not know him well at all, and 
am surprised that he should ask for me. Probably 
he does not know any of the other girls and thought 
that I would do.” Betty was laughing. 

“That must have been it,” said Donald, with 
sarcasm in his tone. “Say, I was watching you 
skate this afternoon and want to congratulate you 
on the well deserved honor you received.” 

“I must return the compliment, then. But you 
are a real skater. I never saw anybody do the 
things you did in the contest except a professional 
skater.” 

“I’m glad you liked it,” and Donald wanted to 
add, “I was doing it for you,” but did not at this 
stage of acquaintance. 

“You are Dorothy Appleton’s cousin, aren’t you?” 

“Yes, and Jack’s, of course.” 

“O, do you call John Appleton Jack?” 

“Most of the boys do. Come, I must let some 
of the rest of them meet you, but may I have the 
first skate with you after dinner, and take you down 
to the river and bring you back?” 

“Certainly. It will be wonderful to skate with 
such a skater as you are.” 

Dinner, which had been planned for an earlier 
time than usual was served later than usual, merely 
because it was hard to manage the arranging of 
couples and seating. But at last the gong rang and 


196 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


the gay company gathered about the prettily decor¬ 
ated tables. Place cards were in the form of skates, 
and a few of the older girls excused themselves 
temporarily from their escorts, in order to help all 
find their seats, and relieve the confusion or prevent 
it. Miss Randolph, in her most elegant gown, led the 
way to the dining room with the commandant of the 
school, who was a fine figure in his uniform. “Prob¬ 
ably it would have been better,” she was saying 
“had we planned the afternoon contests a little 
earlier. It still grows dark so early. But we can 
give them a little more time tonight if it does make 
it later. The dinner must not be hurried,” of which 
statement the commandant thoroughly approved. 

Cathalina was at a table where sat the young in¬ 
structors of the military school with their compan¬ 
ions, but Betty was at the same table with John Ap¬ 
pleton and Hilary, Harry Mills and Lilian, Eloise 
with a tall, over-grown, handsome young “top-ser¬ 
geant”, and Dorothy with a rolicking soldier boy 
who kept the table in mirth with his stories of school 
affairs. 

“How I do adore uniforms!” whispered Eloise 
to Betty, as she passed her in finding their places. 
Betty smiled and nodded, as if to say, “So do I.” 

“There are no old toasts and speeches this time,” 
said Dorothy to her brother. 

“No time wasted, then,” replied John. 


/ 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 197 

“I imagine that Miss Randolph will make a ‘few 
brief’ remarks,” said Hilary, “to give direction about 
the rest of the evening.” 

“Yes, and the dear old boy will have to respond 
with thanks for the pleasures enjoyed,” said Harry 
irreverently. 

“Don’t they look fine, though?” said Lilian. “We 
ought to be proud of them.” 

“We are,” replied Harry. “There aren’t many 
heads of a military school—as strict as dicipline has 
to be—that are liked as well. The boys all respect 
him.” 

“Well, you know, John,” said Dorothy, “what 
the best girls think of Miss Randolph.” 

By the time the dinner was over, Donald knew 
where Betty lived, all about her family, what studies 
she was taking and what she thought on various 
subjects interesting to young people. In turn he 
gave her bits of information about his own life and 
incidentally his character. The Hiltons lived in 
Chicago and Donald was the oldest of three chil¬ 
dren, the other two girls. 

Hilary was right about the announcements. Miss 
Randolph rose at the close of the meal, greeted the 
guests in a few cordial words and announced that 
the bell would ring at the time to stop skating upon 
the river. “I think that you will have no difficulty 


198 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


in hearing it, but if we have any doubt a gong will 
sound at the river.” 

Then the officer in charge, as Harry had prophe¬ 
sied, thanked the principal, teachers and young ladies 
of Greycliff for their entertainment and courtesy, 
and directed his students where and when to meet 
for the trip home. 

‘Til be in the hall or parlor waiting for you,” 
said Donald, as if he were afraid some one else 
would carry Betty off. 

The girls rushed upstairs to change back to skat¬ 
ing outfits, while the boys ran across to the gym¬ 
nasium for their extra equipment. The girls were 
full of fun and further anticipations, but had little 
time to talk about it. 

“Wasn’t the dinner good?” asked Lilian. “I 
was so glad that the boys had lots to eat! They 
say that their meals aren’t as good as our’s, but then 
this was extra even for us. How did you like 
John Appleton, Hilary?” 

“He’s a fine young man,” replied Hilary, “looks 
so much like Dorothy and has some of her ways, 
too. I like him ever so much.” 

“Don’t like him better than Campbell, Hilary,” 
called Cathalina, to Hilary’s amusement. 

“Did you have a good time, Cathalina?” Hilary 
called back. 

“O, yes, though our crowd was older. Lieu- 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


199 


tenant Maxwell is real joy and very polite, too. 
He asked to take me down to the river and skate 
first with me.” 

“So did Donald,” said Betty. “I guess all of 
them would do that.” 

“How old do you think Donald Hilton is?” asked 
Cathalina. 

“He told me, when he was telling about his sisters 
and how old they were, or rather how much older 
he is than they are. He is not quite nineteen.” 

It did not take as long to get ready for the skat¬ 
ing as it had to dress up in all their glory for dinner. 
Betty slipped down the stairs, looked carefully 
around to be sure to avoid Captain Holley, and 
brightened when she saw Donald Hilton waiting not 
far from the stairway. He, too, was running no 
chances! Out they hurried, Betty’s skates over Don¬ 
ald’s arm. They were among the first to arrive at 
the river, where a line of great bonfires lit up the 
place, and Mickey was in charge. Certain limits 
were placed, beyond which the skaters were supposed 
not to go, but there was distance enough for a long 
skate between the banks of the beautiful, ice-clad 
river, on into the misty white curves over-hung with 
pine tree branches. A guardian moon was coming 
up now, and looked through a few drifting clouds. 

“Be sure to tell me if you are cold,” said Don¬ 
ald, looking down at Betty, as they skated forward, 


200 


THE GIRL& OF GREYCLIFF 


“and I’ll take your over to a bonfire in a jiffy.” Don¬ 
ald was used to looking after his younger sisters, 
but that fact did not quite account for a certain 
tenderness in his attitude, which Betty felt, but could 
not understand. 

“Before I take you back and any body takes you 
away from me, I want to tell you something,” said 
Donald, “and I want you to promise not to be 
offended till Eve had a chance to explain,—will 
you?” 

“Why,—no,” replied Betty, wondering, but ready 
to promise almost anything within reason, for with 
sure strokes they were gliding along so happily 
and there was such exhilaration in skating with Don¬ 
ald that Betty felt quite uplifted and as if she were 
living in a sort of fairyland. 

Donald said nothing for a minute, but then took 
her around a curve where the moonlight shone full 
upon them. “Let’s stop here a minute,” he suggested. 
“I’ve something to show you.” Out of his pocket 
he took a small object and laid it in her gloved hand. 
“Is this yours?” he asked. 

“Oh!” exclaimed Betty. It was the pansy orna¬ 
ment which had been on her sleeve. “Yes, it is,— 
I hate to think—” 

“Please don’t think that I took it on purpose,” 
said Donald hastily. “I found it hanging to one of 
the buttons on my sleeve.” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 201 

“O, did anybody else see it?” 

“No, indeed. Never from that day to this!” 

“Why did you do it?” asked Betty, who felt that 
perhaps her evening was spoiled. 

“Look over your shoulders, you mean? That is 
what I want to explain. I was over there with Hol¬ 
ley and two or three of the boys. We had some 
idea of calling on the girls, but when we found 
that Dorothy and you younger girls were having a 
Hallow-e’en celebration, we gave it up, and old John 
and I strolled around the grounds awhile. Finally 
John went inside to see if Holley was ready to go, 
and I noticed the lights around where Dorothy tells 
me your society hall is, and strolled around there. 
Just as I was almost at the door, but back in the 
shadow of that tree close by, the door opened and 
you came out. You haven’t any idea of what a pic¬ 
ture you made with the candle in you hand, so I 
just naturally stopped to look. Then you turned 
around to look back down the steps and held up the 
mirror,—” 

“O, don’t!” cried Betty. “I’m so ashamed of it!” 

“ ‘Ashamed of it!’ ” exclaimed Donald. “Why, 
girls always try all sorts of things on Hollow-e’en, 
don’t they?” 

“O, yes, but I didn’t dream that anybody’d be 
there, and of course I don’t believe in that silly old 
superstition!” 


202 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“No, I never supposed you did, but I couldn’t 
resist stepping up any more than if I’d been hypno¬ 
tized. I don’t know but I was! But you haven’t 
any idea of how much I have been thinking of you, 
and warning to apologize, and wanting to meet you. 
I was pretty sure that it was you when I first saw 
you this afternoon, and after watching you closely 
while you were skating so near me, I knew it was 
the pansy girl.” Donald almost said “my” pansy 
girl, but bethought himself in time. “Now do you 
think you can forgive me?” 

“O, yes,” said the generous Betty. “I, too, have 
been wondering who it was, and I was so terribly 
afraid it was Captain Holley, for I heard that he 
was over that night. I’m really thankful that it was 
you and that you do not think me too silly.” 

“I never thought for a minute that you were 
'silly’,” declared Donald. “But why did you think 
it might be Captain Holley?” 

“Because I’ve had the oddest experiences. I be¬ 
lieve I’ll tell you about it. Do you boys think that 
he is all right?” 

“We don’t know what to think about him.” 

“Well, neither do I, and I can’t imagine what he 
was doing at the cave. But if I tell you, you must 
promise not to tell. It would be too bad to make 
trouble for him when perhaps he is all right.” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYOLIFF 203 

Donald was all attention, though not inclined to 
be very easy on Captain Holley, for did he not have 
an eye tonight on the little pansy lady whom Donald 
already was beginning to consider his “girl”. They 
were skating again, and Donald tightened his hold 
on Betty, as she told him of the first time she met 
the brother of Louise and how it happened that she 
was there. “You can see why I thought it might 
be he again,” she said, “and I didn’t have anything 
but a blurred image of you in the glass.” 

“Well, we boys will look out for you,” declared 
Donald when Betty had finished her story of the 
cave incidents. “When we skate back, I’ll see that 
Holley does not skate with you. They are probably 
fussing at me now, because I’m keeping the prize 
skater all to myself. It’s funny about Holley. Some 
of the boys are much attracted to him. He is real 
popular with a certain set, and makes himself gener¬ 
ally agreeable. Then there are others of us that do 
not like him.” 

Fortunately it did not happen that Captain Holley 
sought out Betty. She had a happy evening skat¬ 
ing with one and another of Donald’s friends, clos¬ 
ing it with another exhilarating turn with that young 
man himself. The other girls were as busily en¬ 
gaged as herself till the bell rang and the cadets and 
officers escorted the maids of Greycliff back to the 
Hall. 





204 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


CHAPTER XVI. 

“yet a little sleep.” 

“I’m glad it’s Saturday,” said Cathalina sleepily 
the next morning, reaching out a hand across the 
space between her bed and Betty’s. Betty extracted 
a hand from beneath the warm covers and took 
Cathalina’s. 

“Let’s not go to breakfast,” said lazy Betty. “I’m 
stiff from skating so much and we’ve got some fruit 
if we get hungry before lunch. We’re late anyhow. 
The rising bell rang ages ago.” 

“Won’t we get a mark against us if we don’t 
appear?” 

“I don’t think so, not on Saturday or Sunday, 
though we’ll be asked why.” 

“All right, we’ll risk it. I’m proud of my record, 
though. Little Cathalina hasn’t missed a meal since 
she’s been here except on account of sickness.” 

“And I suspect you hardly ever used to go down 
to breakfast at home in the days you were telling 
me about.” 

“My, no. Poor Etta had a life with me before I 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


205 


came to Greycliff. I took a lot of waiting on. I 
like a certain amount of it yet, about clothes and 
hair and some things, but I like activity now and I 
didn’t want to do one thing! Still, I was about 
sick all the time.” 

‘T don’t want any activity this morning,” sighed 
Betty. “I don’t know when bed has felt so good. 
I’d like to try having a maid wait on me . . . and 
fix my clothes . . . and hair ...” Betty 
dropped Cathalina’s hand and curled up to sleep 
again. It was a little while before Cathalina went 
back to her slumbers, but she too dropped off and 
neither wakened till long after nine o’clock, when 
they roused and began to talk. 

“We haven’t heard a peep from Lilian or Hilary,” 
said Betty. “I wonder if they’re up and if they let 
the maid in.” 

“O, well, we can clean up ourselves,” said Catha¬ 
lina. “I’ve been lying awake a little while thinking 
about last night.” 

“So have I,” said Betty. 

“I didn’t tell you what a pleasant young officer 
sat on the other side of me. Lieutenant Maxwell 
talked to everybody, the girl on the other side of him 
or across the table, and once when Captain Van 
Horne’s lady was talking to some one else I had 
the best chat with him. He was with that new 
music teacher, Miss Hallowed, and he is a very 


206 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


superior person, Betty, is pretty dignified and ser¬ 
ious, I think, but easy to talk to. He has the finest 
face, with the dearest smile and the most inspired 
eyes!” 

“Mercy, Cathalina, this sounds serious. ‘Catha- 
lina Van Buskirk Van Horned What a name!” 

Cathalina laughed out. “It isn’t as serious as 
that, Betty, but after all it wouldn’t be any worse 
than that of my distinguished ancester, ‘Maria Van 
Ness Van Buskirk’, that married the first Martin 
Van Buskirk that came from Holland—” 

“That lived in the house that Jack built,” finished 
Betty. “Go on. This is thrilling.” 

“I’ll not tell you another thing if you don’t stop 
being so silly! I thought you’d be interested .” 

“I am, awfully,” and Betty tried to smother her 
giggles. 

“He spoke to me first about my name and our 
Holland ancestors. Holland was a great little coun¬ 
try once, you know.” 

“Isn’t it now?” 

“I don’t know. It’s terribly afraid of Germany, 
they say. Well, I liked him so much. I felt just the 
way I do with Father and Phil, that you could trust 
him. I think he’s the finest of all the officers that 
were here. He talked so well and seemed to know 
so much.” 

“ ‘Van Horne’,” repeated Betty, musingly. “I 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 207 

believe that is the man that Donald Hilton mentioned 
when we were talking about Captain Holley. He 
said almost the same thing that you did, and pointed 
him out to me, ‘Now there’s a man you can trust / 
Has he blue eyes and very dark brown hair—and 
is real tall?” 

“Yes, but then there are other tall folks among 
the boys.” 

“I think I saw him.” 

Betty was in the midst of telling about her eve¬ 
ning when a gentle knock sounded on their bed¬ 
room door. “Come right in,” called Betty, and 
Lilian appeared fully dressed. 

“‘How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard?” she 
quoted, as she went over to put down their window. 
“ ‘Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding 
of the hands to rest.’ That is what Father always 
says to me when he calls me to get up after some 
party.” 

“Have you and Hilary been up long?” asked 
Cathalina. 

“Just got dressed. Have you anything to eat ?” 

“Yes. I’ll get it as soon as possible.” 

“No hurry. We have some crackers and peanut 
butter and wondered if you had anything.” 

“We have oranges, and we can make some cocoa.” 

“Yes, if we can get a place to cook it. The hot 
plates will be popular this morning.” 


208 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“I’m due in the studio from eleven to twelve this 
morning.” 

“Poor Cathalina! Hurry up and dress and come 
out to tell us all about last night. I’ll turn on your 
heat for you, too, almost forgot that. Wasn’t it a 
great old carnival?” 

It was not long before the girls were all gathered 
in their little study room eating their somewhat 
scant lunch. They had given up making the cocoa, 
“Too much trouble,” said Hilary, “and it isn’t long 
till lunch.” 

“We certainly are tired,” said Betty, “if even 
Hilary thinks it too much trouble to make cocoa.” 

“I wish we had enough to take around to some 
of the other girls,” said Lilian. “They’re probably 
doing the same thing we are.” But Lilian had 
scarcely gotten these words out when a little rap 
came and Pauline’s head was peeping in. 

“O, come on in, Pauline, there are several extra 
crackers here, and Hilary and I’ll divide my orange 
with you.” 

Pauline was entirely within the door by this time 
and the girls saw that she carried a good-sized bas¬ 
ket. “Excuse my appearance, ladies, but I didn’t 
take time to dress up, was afraid that you would 
be suffering for food, and this basket arrived yester¬ 
day from my sister. We are just getting about in 
our suite. I meant to save this till tonight, but 


20 $ 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 

thought that we really needed it more this morning. 
Pauline threw back the papers and disclosed a large 
cake in a box, packed about with fruit of various 
sorts and other interesting packages. “Or can’t you 
eat cake in the morning?” she added. 

“Pauline, you life-saver!” exclaimed Betty. “Of 
course we can eat cake!” 

“And Eloise will be in in a minute with some 
cocoa for you. Get you cups ready. And may we 
‘have the borry’ of your big knife to cut this?” 

The girls flew around to find the knife and wash 
the cups free from dust. “I see that you have 
oranges,” said Pauline, but you must have a banana 
apiece and some grapes, and look at these!” 

“Doughnuts!” exclaimed Lilian. “Home-made!” 

Amid the exclamations and thanks of the girls, 
Pauline put out some fruit upon a plate that Catha- 
lina brought her, cut the cake in generous slices 
for each one, handed around the doughnuts, and with 
apologies for being hurried, disappeared. “I have 
to attend to my starving family,” said she, “though 
Eloise was the only one up when I left. The others 
will be waited upon in state.” 

Eloise was warmly welcomed when she appeared 
with the steaming cocoa. “Perhaps we, too, might 
have had enough energy to make cocoa if we had 
had the inspiration of that basket,” said Hilary. 

“I didn’t feel as sleepy as the rest,” replied Eloise, 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


o 


10 


O 




Ki 


‘‘and when I found that Helen had a little headache 
I thought she ought to have something hot, conse¬ 
quently I made this for the crowd.” 

“How I regret eating those crackers, such a waste 
of space!” said Hilary, looking fondly at a dough¬ 
nut. 

“It does not trouble me,” said Betty, “I can’t 
see any effect upon my appetite. When you get 
through, come and tell us what sort of a time you 
had last night.” 

We will,” said Eloise, filling the last cup. 

Do you suppose that these wonderfully fresh 
doughnuts came all the way from the ranch?” asked 
Cathalina, after the departure of Eloise. 

“O, no,” answered Lilian. “Her married sister 
lives somewhere in this state. I wish mine did.” 

The ice carnival had promoted acquaintance with 
the cadets and officers at the military school, which 
was known as Grant Military Academy. Distance 
was too great for frequent calls, but not for occa¬ 
sional ones. Brothers and cousins could sometimes 
come to Greycliff for Sunday dinner, or called on 
Saturday afternoon. These calls became more fre¬ 
quent after the skating affair, nor were they limited 
entirely to relatives. Corporal Donald Hilton was 
related to Dorothy Appleton, but it was Betty Barnes 
for whom he asked on several occasions. Once Cap¬ 
tain Van Horne called and asked to see Cathalina, 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


211 


who was greatly impressed and felt that she was 
quite grown up to have so mature a gentleman call 
upon her. For the girls thought that he must be 
“at least twenty-four or five.” Captain Holley was 
seen at Greycliff several times, and was very popu¬ 
lar with the collegiate girls, to whom he made him¬ 
self especially agreeable. Betty and Cathalina failed 
to understand what he was doing about that cave, 
but came to the conclusion that he must be all right 
if everybody else thought so. 

“Captain Van Horne’s first name is Allen,” Cath¬ 
alina informed Betty and Hilary one day after the 
important call. “He lives in New York, too, and 
knows where my father has his office and every¬ 
thing, but when I told him who my father was and 
all, I thought he seemed different. Do you suppose 
it was the old money ? He had been telling me about 
how he happened to come to the school. He’s going 
to be a lawyer, and couldn’t afford to keep on going 
to law school right straight along, so he's reading 
law and teaching for a while.” 

“Maybe it was a little shock to be real interested 
in a girl and want to see something of her and then 
find that she had everything on earth,—if you were 
poor yourself.” 

“It’s really against you, then, to have a rich 
father,” said Cathalina soberly. 

“O, no, Cathalina,” exclaimed Hilary. “If any- 


212 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


body really cared for you, It couldn't make any dif¬ 
ference; you are so dear.” 

“No, the poor boys can’t afford to get interested 
in girls that they feel they can’t do anything for. 
I’ll see what this one does, not that he has any 
serious ideas about matters, it is silly to think of 
it,—but, I mean, to call and pay some attention to a 
girl, you know. I’m not thinking of Captain Van 
Horne especially, but any young man.” 

“Would your father want you to marry a poor 
man?” 

“I’m sure I don’t know. I never thought of it 


before.” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


213 


CHAPTER XVII. 

THE MISSING WORDS IN THE MOTTO. 

How the girls of Lakeview Suite were working 
at their lessons these winter days! Nor were they 
the only ones. Eloise came in one day from a long 
practice on piano and said as she threw herself 
wearily into a chair, “I think we left out the most 
important word in our motto. ” 

“Which motto?” asked Hilary, “Psyche Club?” 

“Yes.” 

“ Tides, Amor, Immortalitas.’ What would you 
put in, Madam President?” 

“Didn’t we include ‘effort’, before Psyche at¬ 
tained Olympus?” 

“We did.” 

“Then why not ‘Labor’, just before Immortalitas T 
Faith, love, work , immortality.” 

“You’re right, Eloise,” said Cathalina with ap¬ 
proval. “You mean, I suppose, that we are all work¬ 
ing hard and ought to have something in the motto 
to express it.” 

“You have the idea.” 


214 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“And I’m one of the workers this year. Here I 
am working my head off, in the language of the 
poet, and yet Hilary will carry off the honors at 
Commencement time! Hilary,”—Cathalina laid a 
hand on Hilary’s knee and bent forward to look 
up into her face—“do you want ’em all?” 

“No, worthy club sister, and if I did, do you 
suppose for a minute that I could get ’em all?” 

Cathalina gave a little laugh and settled back in 
her chair. “Ah, but Hilary’s been in the race from 
the start, and I only got in this year, so to speak.” 

“I’m no artist, Cathalina, for one thing,” remind¬ 
ed Hilary. “Who made money on designs for 
pins?” 

“That was an accident, luck.” 

“That was genius wedded to labor,” corrected 
Hilary. “And who can talk French as well as the 
French teacher?” 

“Cathalina!” exclaimed Lilian, Betty and Eloise 
in chorus. 

“Don’t get discouraged so easily, Cathalina,” said 
Lilian. “I’m sure that Hilary will get a big prize 
in scholarship and other things, but even I who 
sit in the shadow of her greatness, as it were, am 
going to try for a literary prize or two,—O, Hilary, 
yot^ don’t mind, do you?” for Lilian thought that 
Hilary looked hurt. 

“We’re proud of you, Hilary, not jealous,” said 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 215 

Eloise. Now Lil and I nearly come to blows over 
who has the most,—more,—beautiful voice. If 
Madame puts Lilian on the big Spring Recital and 
doesn’t put me, I shall have a spasm or something. 
Really, I mean it.” 

“How you do rattle on,” said Hilary, who had had 
one startled moment when she thought Lilian was 
in earnest. 

“Yes,” said Lilian in reply to Eloise, “if Madame 
should show so much preference and put Eloise on 
and leave me off, I’d know that she thought Eloise 
could sing and I couldn’t. However, I do think that 
Eloise is exaggerating a little when she speaks of 
‘blows’.” 

“Perhaps so,” admitted Eloise, “but I will say 
that when it comes to piano I shall not be jealous 
of anybody. If my beloved teacher will only leave 
me off the program I shall be happy, but I can see 
that this ‘beautiful little study’ that I am working 
on and have been all year is aimed at the Spring 
Recital!” 

“They have to have somebody,” remarked Hilary. 

“Now, Hilary! The most unkindest cut of all!” 

“I have to get even on general principles.” 

“You have given me a most unhappy thought, 
Eloise,” said Lilian, “what if my violin teacher 
should make me play ‘The Violet’!” 

“What is that?” asked Eloise. 


216 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“O, it is a simple little thing for beginners. I am- 
working on ‘Simple A veu’ now and the professor is 
in despair. Honestly, girls, if I did not like violin 
so much I’d give it up. He has such agonies over 
my bowing and fingering and if I do not get the 
tone,—the sparks fly. I don’t blame him for that, 
though. I nearly perish myself when any one is 
off pitch in singing or violin. I know better than 
to make some of the mistakes I do, but when he has 
to show me I get confused, and he hasn’t a bit 
of patience. I suppose that is the sign of a great 
artist.” 

“Indeed it isn’t,” said Hilary, “not to have pa¬ 
tience, but I suppose it is hard to teach.” 

“Patty West has patience,” said Betty. “She 
takes music all the time, too, doesn’t she?” 

“I think so, one thing or another. I should think 
she would be taking chemistry, or botany or some¬ 
thing with Dr. Norris this year.” 

“She’s had all the easy things that we take, of 
course, but maybe she can get out on the field trips 
with us this spring in bird study.” 

Cathalina’s ambition had stirred early in the year 
when she found that there was a possibility of her 
being graduated from the Academy with the other 
girls. And having set to work on making up some 
necessary lines of study she became interested in 
doing it well. 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


217 


Lilian was trying for one of the “Van Buskirk” 
prizes, offered this year by Cathalina’s father. One 
was for the best original poem; another, for the 
best short story; another, for the best essay, and a 
fourth for the best bird list, with dates and descrip¬ 
tions. Second prizes also were to be awarded. Lilian 
was writing “yards of poetry”, as she said. 

Scholarship prizes were always offered by the 
school, with some special prizes in the different de¬ 
partments, as in the English, French, Oratory, 
Science and Music departments. These prizes were 
offered both to collegiates and academy pupils, but 
separately. 

“I want to call a meeting of the club,” said Eloise. 
“We haven’t done a thing about Dorothy and Jane 
and I want to find out whether the girls all want 
to take any more into it. How about pins, Catha- 
lina?” 

“I can get those at a moderate price.” 

“Another thing, do we want to take in any of 
the younger girls for Isabel and Avalon. There are 
Virginia and Olivia, you know. Isabel and Virginia 
are together so much, and Avalon and Olivia.” 

Each girl hesitated to be the first to speak. 

“What do you think, Hilary?” 

“I feel this way about it. Isabel and Avalon are 
satisfied to be with us. If we take in the other two 
it may make two groups of us. It seems to me 


218 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


that the younger girls might wait till later, till next 
year any way. About the two others, at first I 
thought I did not want to make any change at all. 
We want this to be a group of intimate friends. But 
on second thought I changed my mind. Dorothy 
and Jane are strong girls and we do not know 
surely that they will be back next year, so Fm for 
taking them in if they’ll come.” 

“That is what Pauline and Juliet think. Helen 
did not know, but said that she was willing to do 
what the other girls wanted. It has to be unanimous, 
you know. Come to our suite, then, either before 
or after dinner, which?” 

“After, if you don’t mind,” said Hilary, “before 
we begin anything. I have to finish my French com¬ 
position now and do a little other work, or I’ll 
not be able to get through tomorrow. Every min¬ 
ute of study hours tonight is planned for. But after 
dinner we’ll be care-free for a little while.” 

The other girls indicating their approval, Eloise 
fixed the time as suggested. “I’ll go to see Isabel 
and Avalon now,” said she. 

In due time, a circle of smiling faces surrounded 
Eloise, who called the meeting to order. 

“We have talked this matter over pretty well 
among us,” said Eloise, after stating why she called 
them together. “Will somebody make a motion?” 

“I move,” said Hilary, “that we make Dorothy 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 219 

Appleton and Jane Mills members of the club and 
so notify them. Are there any remarks?” 

“We’ll have to have an initiation, won’t we?” 
said Isabel, in happy anticipation of such an event. 
No other remarks forthcoming, the motion was put 
and carried unanimously. 

“Nobody’s said a word to the girls,” said Lilian. 
“Who’ll ask them ?” 

The girls all thought a moment. No one wanted 
to take the responsibility. 

“You do it, Lilian,” suggested Hilary. “You have 
tact, and you were a fellow victim at the time of 
the wreck.” 

“You wouldn’t have to persuade anybody to be¬ 
long, in my opinion,” said Avalon. “Who wouldn’t 
want to?” 

“Go on, Lilian,” said Isabel. “Let’s all wait 
here till we find out. I’ll go and make some fudge. 
Who has any sugar and butter and chocolate?” 

The girls laughed at that, but managed to hunt 
up the desired material, while Lilian went to hunt 
up the two girls who had just been elected. Dorothy 
she found in a group of girls who were listening 
to some rollicking piano music in the parlors, but 
Jane was not in sight. Lilian beckoned to Dorothy, 
who detached herself and joined her. 


220 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“Come take a stroll in the halls with me, Doro¬ 
thy, while I ask you something,” said Lilian. “Do 
you know where Jane is?” 

“No; around with some of the girls somewhere.’’ 

“Perhaps we’ll run across her. I want to tell you 
both the same thing, but I can tell you now. Here’s 
a good place to sit down in this alcove. You know 
our little club, Dorothy, with the butterfly pins?” 

“Yes, those lovely little pins!” 

“You know the girls pretty well that wear them, 
too ” 

“Yes.” 

“We’ve been hoping, Dorothy, that you would 
like to wear one, too, and join us, you and Jane.” 

“That wauld be very nice, Lilian,” replied Doro¬ 
thy slowly. “Do you mean that I am invited to 
join? 

“Not only invited, but urged!” Lilian was dis¬ 
appointed at Dorothy’s hesitation, which was un¬ 
like her, but just then she caught sight of Jane and 
ran to call her, leaving Dorothy to think the matter 
over. As they walked toward Dorothy she explained 
her errand to Jane. Jane looked brighter and more 
pleased than Dorothy, but shook her head. “I’m 
afraid we can’t,” she said. Lilian went on to explain 
a little. 

“You know that it is only a club of rather intimate 
friends, no dues, only the expense of the pins, and 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


221 


Cathalina gets special rates on them, and we meet 
when we feel like it. We girls like you two so much 
that we thought we would like to have you with us. 
But if you do not want to go into it, it wouldn’t be 
best.” 

Dorothy looked at Jane. “Now, Lilian,” said she, 
“it is very embarrassing to refuse an invitation like 
this. I really can’t tell you how much I appreciate 
your wanting us. I didn’t dream of your doing it, 
or—well, I don’t see how I’m going to explain, do 
you, Jane?” 

“You see, Dorothy is president of the class,—” 

“You can’t explain without telling what we ought 
not,” interrupted Dorothy. “Just tell the girls, 
Lilian, if this invitation is official, that we appre¬ 
ciate it beyond words, but can’t.” 

“And we are very sorry, indeed,” replied Lilian. 
“I am sure that they all will be very much disap¬ 
pointed.” With smiles and a wave of the hand she 
left them and went slowly upstairs, wondering. 

“Have a piece of hot fudge, Lilian,” called Isabel, 
as she entered the room. “How soon do we ini¬ 
tiate?” 

“Not at all!” 

“What? Why Lilian!” 

“What was the trouble?” 

“Dorothy wouldn’t?” This was Betty. 


222 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“Listen, girls, and I’ll give you the whole conver¬ 
sation, and then you can perhaps tell me what is the 
matter, for of course something is.” 

“I consider that they should have explained,” said 
Eloise. 

“They were taken by surprise, though. For pity’s 
sake let’s not let them know that we feel turned 
down!” 

“Being ‘president of the class’ means something. 
They are under some pledge to the crowd that 
doesn’t like some of us.” 

“I believe you’re right, Betty,” said Lilian. “But 
don’t ask me to invite any more members!” 

“We are very nice just as we are,” remarked Isa¬ 
bel. “Let’s stay ten of us.” 

“I’ll not order any more pins yet ” said Cathalina. 
“But I am surprised. Dorothy has been so lovely 
and so has Jane, and we have seen so much of them 
lately.” 

“I think that the best way is to let it go and 
treat them the same as ever, and maybe they will 
tell us some time, unless it really is because they 
do not like us, and I can’t believe that.” 

“You are right, Hilary,” said Eloise. “You think 
so too, Lilian?” 

“Yes. Please let me have another piece of fudge, 
Isabel.” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


223 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

SPRING DAYS AT GREYCLIFF. 

Early the wild ducks returned. Other birds came 
in due season, and the bird classes began their yearly 
prowlings. The Greycliff Bird Club prospered. Never 
had they had such lists, which they had started with 
the winter birds, and under the generalship of Dr. 
Norris, there was little that they missed. Tennis, 
rowing and riding were popular and engaged in 
when the girls had time. Miss Randolph tried to 
curb the modern tendency to let athletics seize the 
place and dominate the interests. Nor was any one 
girl permitted to take part in everything and waste 
her time in too many forms of the physical activ¬ 
ities. But each had enough to keep her healthy 
and happy. 

One Saturday morning Dr. Norris took the bird 
class out for a field trip. According to Isabel, a 
“field trip” need not have anything to do with 
fields. “We may even go up the river in a boat,” 
said she, “but it’s a field trip, just the same.” Vir¬ 
ginia, now chiefly called Virgie, had joined the en- 


224 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


thusiasts and had a field glass of her father’s, which 
was very good indeed, much better than some which 
were of more modern form and more expensive, for 
these were fine lenses. 

“Now if you girls do not mind climbing over the 
rocks,” said Dr. Norris, “there is an easy, or fairly 
easy, ascent to the woods on the edge of the bluff 
above, and we shall save a long detour and an almost 
impossible tramp through the woods toward the 
lake.” 

They were starting for the shore, and Betty and 
Isabel looked at each other as the girls called out, 
“We don't mind rocks a bit, Dr. Norris.” The 
class was divided into two groups, one with Dr. 
Norris, the other with “Paul Revere”, more prop¬ 
erly known as Dr. Matthews. Betty, Isabel, Hilary, 
Lilian and Cathalina were in the group with Dr. 
Norris. 

“When we get up into the woods,” said Dr. Nor¬ 
ris, “you may scatter along the bluff, though not 
too far, but do not attempt to penetrate the woods 
except when I am in the lead. We ought to see 
wood warblers in numbers this morning, and perhaps 
some birds that are too wild to come to our campus.” 

It was the rocky way toward the cave which they 
took, but they passed it, looking very uninteresting 
in the gray, early morning light, still misty from 
the lake. Some little distance beyond the ledge and 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


225 


cave was an irregular ascent, not easy to climb, 
but far from impossible, and what bird class minds 
a little trouble, when perhaps a dozen of the mi¬ 
grants as yet unseen will be flitting in their dainty 
spring costumes among the trees? And there they 
were, the beautiful black-throated warbler with its 
shining coat and excuse of a voice; the bay-breasfed, 
and the orange-trimmed Blackburnian warblers. 
Shy thrushes slipped away in front of them and hid 
behind branches and leaves. Hilary was stealing 
away alone to follow a blue-headed vireo of whose 
identification she wanted to make sure. She kept 
to the edge of the woods along the cliff, according 
to directions, and was somewhat surprised to come 
upon a low, one-roomed house or hut of rocks or 
stone from the cliffs. She stopped and whistled a 
tune of the wood thrush, the call note of the Grey- 
cliff bird club. It meant, “come softly and see 
something. ” 

Lilian, who was not far away appeared, then 
Betty and Isabel came, parting the branches of the 
thick growth and creeping up quietly. Hilary made 
motions which might have made one outside of the 
bird atmosphere think that she was a fit subject 
for a brain specialist. She pointed up to where she 
had just located and identified the bird, then to the 
building, and described, as if drawing in the air, an 
interrogation mark. 








226 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


Isabel the brave made an immediate choice be¬ 
tween bird and hut, softly making her way up and 
trying to peer through the high window, which was 
curtained with a dark curtain or shade. All around 
the little stone hut she walked, slipping through the 
bushes, and trying the door which she found locked. 
“Nobody at home/’ she said to Betty, who had come 
up. Then she crept out on the edge of the bluff and 
looked over. “As I thought,’' she said, nodding, 
“just over the ledge of the cave.” 

“That is queer,” said Betty, “I think some smug¬ 
glers must have lived here, don’t you?” 

“It looks like it. Perhaps this was only a sort of 
storehouse.” 

Doctor Norris had drawn near, investigating the 
source of the whistle, and Hilary was now pointing 
out the little house to him. “We might as well tell 
him the funny history of the cave, Betty,” said Isa¬ 
bel, as they joined the rest. 

“All right, I told Donald, and he promised to keep 
still about it, but to keep his eyes open, too.” 

“Doctor Norris, that is a funny cave,” began Isa¬ 
bel, “and I find that this stone house is right above 
it. Let me tell you what we girls all saw, and what 
Betty and I did.” 

Dr. Norris was interested enough to let the bird 
instruction and observation wait till he had heard 
what there was to tell. “It does seem odd,” said 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 227 

he. “I can t think what Holley would be doing 
there. But he seems to be a fine fellow. Dr. Shafer 
has known him for a long time, and Dr. Carver 
likes him very much.” 

“Her liking him wouldn’t be any recommenda¬ 
tion to me” whispered Isabel to Betty. 

“Had you ever seen this hut before?” asked 
Lilian. 

“No; I only found this place to climb up a day 
or two ago, when I was looking for places to take 
you.” 

“I wish we could get inside,” said Isabel. 

“Could you see anything through the windows?” 

“Not a thing, and there is only one door.” 

“Well, keep away from the place and I will make 
some quiet inquiry.” 

“We are not permitted to come this far without 
some chaperone now,” Hilary informed him. 

“Very good,” said Dr. Norris. 

But not very soon was the purpose of this little 
building discovered. Perhaps it might have been, 
if any one had taken it up seriously. But both girls 
and teachers at Greycliff had their hands full with 
their daily tasks and the different occasions of im¬ 
portance that marked the year. 

The time of the recital came all too soon, according 
to the performers, who, if the truth were told, never 
would be quite ready. Much was made of it by 





228 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


the faculty and the program was conducted with 
a, graceful formality. The girls wore their best 
frocks and fluttered about in a state of excitement. 
Lilian in a pink dress that matched her cheeks, and 
Eloise in a creamy, lacy frock, were both on the 
program in song, and, as they said, were now able to 
remain friends. Lilian, alas, as she had feared, was 
obliged to appear with her violin. But as she was 
waiting for the announcement which would call her 
to the platform, she was amazed, so she told Hilary 
afterward, to hear her teacher tell one of the other 
teachers that “Mees North” was one of the most 
intelligent pupils he had. “She have the gift,” he 
added. Hearing this, Lilian determined to do her 
best for him, and was nerved to put a little more 
expression into her playing than she would have 
done, perhaps, without that encouragement. 

Hilary drew much interest with a difficult com¬ 
position on the pipe organ. The recitals were al¬ 
ways held in the chapel in order to have this instru¬ 
ment. 

The Girls’ Glee Club sang, and the Collegiate Or¬ 
chestra, with violins, ’cellos and harp, played the 
sort of dreamy, rippling music that Lilian loved. “I 
hope that I can play in that next year,” said she. 
“Miss Randolph may let the girls give a concert or 
two next year, here in the village, anyway.” 

The recital closed with the playing of a concerto 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


229 


by one of the collegiate girls, with her teacher at 
the other piano. This was well done and made an 
impressive ending to the evening which meant so 
much in work and attainment. 

But the entertainment to which the girls prob¬ 
ably looked forward with most anticipation was that 
of the lawn fete. It was a yearly “benefit” to some 
Greycliff enterprise, which varied from year to year. 
The military school, the village and any friends near 
or far were invited. Not much money was expected 
to result, only some small return to be applied to 
the grounds, the buildings, one of the departments, 
or whatever happened to be the chief interest of the 
year. At this, the young gentlemen were permitted 
to invite the young ladies and buy for them ice 
cream, cake or other of the light refreshments 
offered. A candy booth on the front lawn was al¬ 
ways a great attraction. In case of rain all could 
retire to the dining room, but it never rained, ac¬ 
cording to the Greycliff girls. 

One day a square, white envelope to “Miss Catha- 
lina Van Buskirk, Greycliff Hall,” came in the mail. 
Cathalina and Betty were in the crowd which al¬ 
ways gathered around the “post-office”, as they 
called it, where the mail was given out. Cathalina 
at once started off with it, but Betty begged her to 
wait for her till the mail was distributed. “I’m 
looking for a letter from home,” she said, with 




230 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


twinkling eyes. Cathalina understood and smiled 
as she moved off a little from the rest and opened 
her note. 

Nothing, alas, for Betty, no pretty white invita¬ 
tion, for all the girls recognize the military school 
stationery and there were a number of such notes 
in the mail today. Betty was wondering if Donald 
would ask her to be his guest at the lawn fete, or 
if possibly he was asking some other girl. Dorothy 
Appleton would know, but naturally Betty would 
not ask any one. The girls were just as friendly 
to Dorothy as ever, but could not help but feel that 
Dorothy and Jane had refused their closer intimacy, 
and Myrtle Wiseman was constantly with both Dor¬ 
othy and Jane. 

“It’s Captain Van Horne, Betty,” said Cathalina, 
as Betty joined her. She handed Betty the invi¬ 
tation. 

“Isn’t it nice! Very grown up, written in the 
third person and all.” 

“I feel very much flattered that a young man 
who knows as much as he does should think it was 
interesting to call on me. What shall I wear, 
Betty ?” 

“Your newest, prettiest summer frock.” 

“Mother is sending me some clothes for Com¬ 
mencement. They ought to be here in a day or 
two.” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


231. 


The next mail brought Betty’s invitation from 
Donald Hilton. The other girls, too, were invited by 
different ones. Lilian, Hilary, Eloise, Helen, Juliet, 
Pauline and others were planning for a happy eve¬ 
ning. Isabel had had a fine time at the ice carnival 
with a young cadet as full of life and fun as she, 
and was quite overwhelmed at receiving her formal 
invitation from him. “My sakes, Cathalina, how do 
you make up a reply? I suppose you have to an¬ 
swer ’em.” 

Cathalina showed her her own reply to Captain 
Van Horne, which Isabel duly copied, as closely 
as possible. “Wouldn’t it be funny if I should for¬ 
get and write in ‘Captain Van Horne’ and sign your 
name ?” 

“Indeed it wouldn’t be funny at all! You’re not 
to make any such mistake, Miss Hunt. Let me 
look over your note before you send it, then.” 

“All right, Cathie; I was going to ask you to 
anyway.” 


232 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


CHAPTER XIX. 

* 

ACADEMY GRADUATES. 

“A pretty sight,” said Juliet, as she looked out 
-of a Lakeview Suite window at the front campus, all 
aglow with lights that cast yellow beams across the 
well-trimmed grass. A certain portion had been 
wired for electric lights, which would be left until 
after Commencement; elsewhere, Japanese lanterns 
were hung around. The fountain sparkled, and 
near by, the brilliantly lighted candy booth was an 
attractive place. Freshman academy girls were not 
permitted to have engagements with the military 
youths, but served refreshments, sold candy, and 
had great fun on the side. Many of the younger 
boys, who came in groups, not having invited any 
particular girl, hung around the booths, offering, 
their services to carry ice cream, buying as much 
candy as they could carry, or took ice cream and 
cake several times in order to converse with the fair 
waitresses. 

At Juliet’s remark, Lilian and Eloise started to 
hum, “Can I Forget That Night in June,” sung 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


233 


by their mothers, grandmothers and perhaps their 
great-grandmothers in bygone days! After helping 
in various ways about the decorations and the candy, 
the girls had dressed early and were visiting before 
it should be time to go downstairs. 

“There come the first lot of them/’ said Hilary, 
who was sitting in the window seat with Juliet. One 
of the Greycliff Village motor ’buses was dashing 
in at the entrance of the drive and the much admired 
uniforms could be seen inside. 

“How do we do this time?” asked Cathalina. 

“We go down to the parlor and wait for the 
card of the cadet,” said Juliet. “It is taken to 
Miss Randolph first to be O. K.’d.” 

“Doesn’t that sound funny?” remarked Lilian. 
“Does sh^ write *0. K.’ on it, Juliet?” 

“Scarcely,” replied Juliet. 

“Come on, let’s all go down and sit in the par¬ 
lors. There comes the village band. I wish the boys 
had theirs tonight.” 

“But the boys wouldn’t have any fun if they had 
to play,” said Betty. 

“They could do as they did the last time, play at 
the beginning and at the end.” 

“By the way, Lilian,” said Pauline, “I’ve been 
wanting to ask you for the longest time—and would 
forget it—how you could play so well at the re¬ 
cital if this is your first year in violin.” 



234 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“Well, Pauline, I did not intend to make you think 
that I had never had any lessons before, but I cer¬ 
tainly considered myself a beginner this year. I 
have had teachers at home, chiefly in the summer, 
you know, but they weren’t very good, and I didn’t 
know how to use the bow correctly, nor get the 
fingering right, and I made everything so dread¬ 
fully different from what the teacher here wanted 
that I was discouraged enough sometimes to give it 
all up.” 

“I see, Lilian, but I guess you knew more than 
you thought you did.” 

“O, yes, girls,” said Eloise, “did you know that 
Patricia West has been a councillor in a girls’ camp 
in Maine and is going again next summer ? Wouldn’t 
it be great if some of us girls could go?” 

“O, wouldn’t it!” exclaimed Isabel. I believe I 
could get my father to let me go, I’m going to write 
to him about it!” 

“Just think,” said Pauline, “Commencement is 
only a week off!” 

“I can’t believe it,” said Cathalina, “all the hard 
work nearly over and I’m going to be graduated 
with the rest of you at the academy exercises! I 
wish my family could come, but they can’t. How¬ 
ever, I’m hoping for Aunt Katherine. She is the 
one who thought first about my coming here, bless 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 235 

her heart! Have you finished your class prophecy, 
Hilary ? 

‘‘Not yet,—but come, it is time we were down¬ 
stairs. Perhaps some of those ‘youths of culture 
and valor’ are our callers.” 

With much fluttering and floating of light dresses 
of various hues, the girls, like so many bright butter¬ 
flies, descended the stairs and went to the parlor 
designated for them. 

Acquaintances prospered at the lawn fete, for 
groups of laughing, chatting young people mingled, 
sipped their lemonade together and passed around 
boxes of home made candy, and as they ate ice 
cream together, they planned all sorts of happy 
gatherings for next year, provided the faculty ap¬ 
proved. 

“Are you returning next year, Miss Van Bus- 
kirk?” asked Captain Van Horne. 

“O, yes; I expect to finish the two collegiate years 
here, and then, perhaps, go to some eastern college 
for two years more. Will you be back next year ?” 

“It is a little uncertain, but I think so. And if 
I am, may I engage you ahead for the next lawn 
fete?” 

Cathalina laughed. “That is a long time ahead, 
but I shall be ‘most happy’.” As the future had it, 
there would not be any lawn fete next year, but 
neither of them knew that now. 





236 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


“What are you going to do this summer?” 

“We have just been talking about it a little. Miss 
West is going to a summer camp in Maine and spoke 
to Betty and me the other day, saying that she wished 
she could have some of us with her. Then tonight 
some of the other girls were talking about it. We 
have been so rushed with work that we have left all 
other plans to the last minute as usual.” 

“I am sorry that you will not be in New York, 
for I expect to be there, reading law, of course.” 

“But I shall be there for a little while before go¬ 
ing, if it is decided that I may go, and in the fall 
again before school opens.” 

“Let me take down your address, then,” and Cap¬ 
tain Van Horne took out his note book and pencil. 

How quickly those last days of the year van¬ 
ished into the past. There were the final examina¬ 
tions for which to study, reviewing the different 
subjects, and preparations for the Commencement 
program must be made. The climax would be 
reached in the class day exercises and the Commence¬ 
ment proper, with its diplomas won by much en¬ 
deavor. 

Hilary’s class prophecy, over which she had sighed 
or laughed, was published in the last number of 
the Greycliff Star, which appeared on the horizon 
of Commencement morning. Lilian’s poem and 
Jane Mills’ short story, which had won Van Buskirk 


THE GIRLS OF GREYOLIFF 


237 


prizes were also published, with the list of the girls 
who won prizes in any line. They had been an¬ 
nounced at the chapel exercises of the day preced¬ 
ing Commencement, and great was Cathalina’s de¬ 
light when Aunt Katherine Knickerbocker appeared 
in time to see her receive hers, for excellence in 
French. Hilary won the first prize of fifty dollars 
for the highest average in general scholarship, and 
Betty received honors in drawing and designing. 
There was not the sadness of parting among the 
academy girls which often shadows the last days. 
The older collegiate girls were deploring their sep¬ 
aration, so soon to occur, but many of the academy 
seniors were so in love with Greycliff Girls’ School 
that they longed to take their first two years of col¬ 
lege work under her kindly auspices. For them 
Greycliff life would go on. 

How Cathalina enjoyed taking Aunt Katherine 
all over the place, introducing the girls to her, and 
visiting with her and Miss Randolph, who was as de¬ 
lighted as Cathalina, and had many things to say to 
her old /riend, chief of which was of her satisfac¬ 
tion with Cathalina and her work. The girls were 
much impressed with Aunt Katherine, her dainty 
apparel, her beautiful speech and her kind friendli¬ 
ness. She had brought to Hilary from New York 
an especially handsome bracelet, as a Commence¬ 
ment present and in recognition, as she said, of the 






238 THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 

inspiration that Hilary had been to Cathalina. To 
the other girls of the suite she gave suitable pres¬ 
ents as well, and the room was strewn with the pretty 
things that arrived from parents and friends. Cath¬ 
alina and the others took Aunt Katherine to the 
library to show her the alcove which held the books 
given to the school by Mr Van Buskirk, and down 
to the society hall to see the new piano, from the 
same generous source. 

“We made the money or gave it ourselves, for 
the furniture, Aunt Katherine,” said Cathalina. 
“Just think! I had that fifty dollars, that the jewel¬ 
er paid me, to give.” 

Aunt Katherine, who had one arm around her 
favorite niece and the other around Betty, gave 
that favorite niece a little squeeze. “Smart child,” 
she said. ‘Til see if Uncle Morris can’t spare a 
picture or two from his collection, next year. Do 
you need anything else?” 

“O, yes, to have the walls done over and a piece 
of statuary or two!” 

“You don’t want much, do you? I suppose you 
need some Grecian marbles in your ‘statuary’ or 
something by Michael Angelo at the least.” 

“No, we’ll take what we can get,” replied Catha¬ 
lina, “and with thanks.” 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


239 


“We’re giving you a fudge party tonight/’ said 
Hilary, “do you drink cocoa, or would you rather 
have tea or lemonade.” 

“Nothing hot in this weather, please; cold water 
will be good.” 

“We shall have iced tea and lemonade, and you 
may choose then. This is our final party. O, we 
do have the best times when we are not studying!” 

“Make the most of it,” said Aunt Katherine. 
“School life has a charm of its own, and you will 
always remember the happy times. I know, because 
I had them, too, and I laugh yet recalling some 
of the fun.” 

It was not very hard to imagine Aunt Katherine 
a girl, though, of course, it must have been ages 
ago, when they wore such funny clothes! 

“Have you seen the ‘Woman in Black’ this year?” 
asked Aunt Katherine of Isabel. 

“You mustn’t laugh at it, Mrs. Knickerbocker,” 
said Isabel with pretended solemnity. “The Grey- 
cliff Ghost is not to be trifled with,—but I haven’t 
seen her. Some of the girls think that I didn’t 
see anything last year, but I really did. However, 
I could not say that it was a ghost. I think it was 
something or somebody that had no business to be 
there at all, though. This year we have had some¬ 
body inside to go around the halls occasionally dur¬ 
ing the night. “Isabel spoke as if it were rather a 




240 


THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


grievance that such a guard should be posted. “But 
we have several mysteries that may or may not be 
cleared up. I rather enjoy them myself.” 

“What do you think of the camp idea, Aunt 
Katherine?” asked Cathalina. 

“You would have a pleasant time together, and 
they say that the girls learn many things at these 
camps, besides having a sensible, outdoor life.” 

“I want to go so much, and Betty hopes to go* 
We can all tell better about it when we get home. 


Commencement day in early June. The sugges¬ 
tion of it brings a picture of bright-faced girls, sheer 
white frocks, and June roses. Aunt Katherine, sit¬ 
ting with Isabel in the chapel, meditated quietly 
while waiting for the seniors to enter. Dr. and 
Mrs. Lancaster sat not far away, having arrived 
in time for the occasion, with regrets that they had 
missed class day and the other exercises. Aunt 
Hilary had had to content herself with sending gifts 
to her namesake. 

And now came the time for the presentation of 
diplomas. On the platform sat the faculty with the 
trustees. It was an old story to some of them. Yet 
never did Miss Randolph fail to rise to the inspira¬ 
tion of the hour. “Beautiful woman,” thought 
Aunt Katherine, as she looked at the shining eyes. 




THE GIRLS OF GREYCLIFF 


241 


and spiritual face of the woman who had so many 
young souls under her influence every year. 

“Isn’t she wonderful?’’ whispered Cathalina to 
Hilary, as the girls, impressed with the dignity of 
the occasion, listened to her address to the class. 

But it was when Cathalina’s name was called and 
she went up to receive her diploma that Aunt Kath¬ 
erine surreptitiously wiped away a tear, and look¬ 
ing over at Mrs. Lancaster, saw her putting away 
her handkerchief. For what our young people do 
means much to those who hold them dear. 

“O, it’s over!” exclaimed Hilary, as she greeted 
her father and mother again and started to bring 
the girls, of whom she had so often spoken at home, 
to meet them. Cahalina was making a low bow to 
aunt and presenting her diploma. 

“Have it framed, Auntie! Put it in Uncle 
Morris’s collection of pictures; it has one of Grey- 
cliff on it.” 

“You have earned it. I think we shall let you 
put it away among the Van Buskirk archives,” re¬ 
turned Aunt Katherine. 

But there was still packing to be done. After 
a lunch, rather more elaborate than usual, the girls 
scattered to their rooms and the exodus began. An¬ 
other year at Greycliff was completed. 


THE END. 






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THE BOY SCOUTS ON THE TRAIL; or, Scouting 
through the Big Game Country. 

THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE MAINE WOODS; or. 
The New Test for the Silver Fox Patrol. 

THE BOY SCOUTS THROUGH THE BIG TIMBER; 
or. The Search for the Lost Tenderfoot. 

THE BOY SCOUTS IN THE ROCKIES; or, The Secret 
of the Hidden Silver Mine. 

THE BOY SCOUTS ON STURGEON ISLAND; or. 
Marooned Among the Game-Fish Poachers. 

THE BOY SCOUTS DOWN IN DIXIE; or, The Strange 
Secret of Alligator Swamp. 

THE BOY SCOUTS AT THE BATTLE OF SARATO¬ 
GA; A story of Burgoyne’s Defeat in 1777. 

THE BOY SCOUTS ALONG THE SUSQUEHANNA; 
or, The Silver Fox Patrol Caught in a Flood. 

[THE BOY SCOUTS ON WAR TRAILS IN BELGIUM; 
or, Caught Between Hostile Armies. 

THE BOY SCOUTS AFOOT IN FRANCE; or. With 
The Red Cross Corps at the Marne. 


! sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of pries 

by the Publishers 

A. L. BURT COMPANY 

‘IM.120 EAST 23rd STREET NEW YORK 













The Boy Allies 

(Registered in the United States 
Patent Office) 

With the 

BY 

ENSIGN ROBERT L. DRAKE 


For Boys 12 to 16 Years. 

All Cloth Bound Copyright Titles 
PRICE, 65 CENTS EACH 

Frank Chadwick and Jack Templeton, young American lads, 
meet each other in an unusual way soon after the declaration 
of war. Circumstances place them on board the British cruiser, 
“The Sylph,” and from there on, they share adventures with 
the sailors of the Allies. Ensign Robert L. Drake, the author, 
is an experienced naval officer, and he describes admirably the 
many exciting adventures of the two boys. 

THE BOY ALLIES ON THE NORTH SEA PATROL; or, Strik- 
ing the First Blow at the German Fleet. 

THE BOY ALLIES UNDER TWO FLAGS; or, Sweeping the 
Enemy from the Sea. 

THE BOY ALLIES WITH THE FLYING SQUADRON; or, The 
Naval Raiders of the Great War. 

THE BOY ALLIES WITH THE TERROR OF THE SEA; or. 
The Last Shot of Submarine D-16. 

THE BOY ALLIES UNDER THE SEA; or. The Vanishing 
Submarine. 

THE BOY ALLIES IN THE BALTIC; or, Through Fields of 
Ice to Aid the Czar. 

THE BOY ALLIES AT JUTLND; or, The Greatest Naval Battle 
of History. 

THE BOY ALLIES WITH UNCLE SAM’S CRUISERS; or, Con- 
voying the American Army Across the Atlantic. 

THE BOY ALLIES WITH THE SUBMARINE D-32; or. The 
Fall of the Russian Empire. 

THE BOY ALLIES WITH THE VICTORIOUS FLEETS; or. 
The Fall of the German Navy. 




For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price 

by the Publishers 

A. L. BURT COMPANY 

114-120 EAST 23rd STREET NEW YORK 
















The Boy Allies 

(Registered in the United States 
Patent Office) 

With the Army 

BY CLAIR W. HAYES 


For Boys 12 to 16 Years. 

All Cloth Bound Copyright Titles 
PRICE, 65 CENTS EACH 

In this series we follow the fortunes of two American lads 

unable to leave Europe after war is declared. They meet the 

soldiers of the Allies, and decide to cast their lot with them. 

Their experiences and escapes are many, and furnish plenty 

of good, healthy action that every boy loves. 

THE BOY ALLIES AT LIEGE; or, Through Lines of Steel. 

THE BOY ALLIES ON THE FIRING LINE; or, Twelve Days 
Battle Along the Marne. 

THE BOY ALLIES WITH THE COSSACKS; or, A Wild Dash 
Over the Carpathians. 

THE BOY ALLIES IN THE TRENCHES; or, Midst Shot and 
Shell Along the Aisne. 

THE BOY ALLIES IN GREAT PERIL; or. With the Italian 
Army in the Alps. 

THE BOY ALLIES IN THE BALKAN CAMPAIGN; or. The 
Struggle to Save a Nation. 

THE BOY ALLIES ON THE SOMME; or, Courage and Bravery 
Rewarded. 

THE BOY ALLIES AT VERDUN; or, Saving France from the 
Enemy. 

THE BOY ALLIES UNDER THE STARS AND STRIPES; or. 
Leading the American Troops to the Firing Line. 

THE BOY ALLIES WITH HAIG IN FLANDERS; or, The Fight¬ 
ing Canadians of Vimy Ridge. 

THE BOY ALLIES WITH PERSHING IN FRANCE; or. Over 
the Top at Chateau Thierry. 

THE BOY ALIES WITH THE GREAT ADVANCE; or. Driving 
the Enemy Through France and Belgium. 

THE BOY ALLIES WITH MARSHAL FOCH; or. The Closing 
Days of the Great World War. 



For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price 

by the Publishers 

A. L. BURT COMPANY 

. 114-120 EAST 23rd STREET NEW YORK 







































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